Doug Copp
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Doug Copp is an American, who claims, somewhat controversially, that he located 40 bodies beneath the rubble of the World Trade Center after the September 11, 2001 attacks. Additionally, he claimed to be the first to search collapsed subway tunnels in the area. During the initial media blitz, and subsequent heavy coverage of the rescue efforts, Copp was singularly praised by U.S. Representative Tom Udall.
After receiving nearly $650,000 USD from the September 11th Victims Compensation Fund due to his rescue efforts, he has since requested an additional 1 million dollars, presumably in order to pay for treatment of a total of 41 medical conditions developed by wading through what he terms "toxic soup" beneath the rubble.
The New York Times and Albuquerque Journal have both stated that Copp's alleged rescue achievements can not be entirely verified, and NYPD rescue chief John Norman has denied several aspects of Copp's claims. Udall is publicly seeking a federal investigation into what he now believes is a fraudulent claim.
Doug Copp has espoused what he calls the "Triangle of Life" earthquake safety method. He recommends that individuals in an earthquake should seek to curl up beside a large object, which will presumably protect them from a falling roof. This has been called into question by agencies such as the Red Cross, at least as a method of earthquake safety in the United States of America. The following link to Snopes.com documents an email sent out praising this method and attacking the traditional "Duck, Cover, and Hold On" method.
External links
- Article about Copp's earthquake safety advice (http://snopes.com/crime/warnings/triangle.asp) (from Snopes.com)