The headline act for an upcoming fundraising concert for Waipuna Hospice is thankful to be alive, having walked out of Christchurch's devastated CTV building just minutes before the earthquake hit.
Tenor Will Martin was winding up a South Island tour, promoting his new album Inspirations, when he visited Christchurch.
Martin was visibly
shaken when he spoke with the Bay of Plenty Times , at the Sebel yesterday. The 26-year-old former Auckland singer was in Tauranga preparing for this year's Waipuna Hospice fundraiser concert to be held next month.
On Tuesday last week, Martin had just finished an interview with television presenter Donna Manning inside the CTV building. He also met managing director Murray Wood.
Martin walked out just minutes before the earthquake hit. Wood and Manning remain missing and are presumed dead.
The multi-level building disintegrated in the quake and following fires. Rescuers are still digging through the rubble more than a week later.
"I was the last interview that day," Martin said.
The singer left the building and was at a nearby cafe with a friend when the quake struck.
"You do drills at school and get taught to go under tables and everything, but that all went. I froze. I wasn't prepared in any way," Martin said.
"Everyone ran to door frames and got under tables."
The cafe building collapsed later that night.
Martin quickly left the city, keen to avoid the ensuing chaos of people trying to get home.
"As I drove I saw all of these trucks coming the other way. There were police cars, Port-a-loos, bottled water, everything all heading to Christchurch."
Martin's Thursday night concert in Christchurch was cancelled. The theatre where he was due to perform lay in ruins.
Another venue scheduled for a show that week was in the Canterbury town Methven. The theatre there was transformed into an evacuation centre.
After leaving Christchurch, Martin travelled north and performed at a Hamilton gig before returning to family in Auckland.
