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Located 300 miles southwest of Argentina’s capital Buenos Aires, Epecuen was once a thriving community. In 1980 the popular place had 2,000 inhabitants and 20,000 tourists per year.
Nowadays there is probably exactly one person left in the city: Pablo Novak (93). In a 2015 interview with CNN, he remembers the flood that came in November 1985 and swept away everything at a height of up to 10 meters.
It had rained heavily earlier and a dam on the saltwater lake of Epecuen burst. Within two weeks, Epecuen was under three meters of water and the residents were evacuated. It meant the end for the once vibrant city. The tourists also stayed away.
‘I was completely alone. All day every day”
It reportedly took eight years for the water to stop rising. The highest level was just over ten meters in 1993.
It took almost 25 years for the water to recede during a dry period and for Pablo to return home.
When Pablo Novak returned, he saw a scene reminiscent of a war zone. What was left of the houses had been bleached by salt and sun, as had the trees, and the streets were strewn with rubble.
‘I was completely alone. Every day, all day,” Pablo, who describes himself as the “loneliest person in the world,” said in the 2015 CNN interview. “I spent time looking for a 20-year-old bottle of whiskey and found it finally found one that I drank all by myself.”
“His house is like a small museum”
His wife and family never returned after the flood. They stayed in a neighboring town where she had built a new life.
But Pablo Novak is no longer always alone. In recent years, more and more tourists have been coming to the once sunken city. They take selfies in front of the ruins, especially in front of the former slaughterhouse, the only well-preserved building. Visitors are drawn to the sight of the ruins and the apocalyptic-looking landscape.
“I watched this city rise and die”
Pablo’s small, dusty house is full of rusty chairs and old newspapers. There is not even electricity,” photographer Irina Werning told Spiegel last year. She had previously visited the last resident of Epecuen; it is the man’s most recent media sign of life to date.
What is he up to today? “At my age, I just enjoy walking through the ruins of Epecuen,” the retiree told CNN in 2015. The ravages of time continually gnaw at him and at the ruins, of which less and less remains. “I watched this city rise and die. “She doesn’t touch me anymore,” he said at the time.
Source: Blick
I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.
