Northern Ireland’s K9 Search & Rescue team assisted in rescuing a woman in Turkey after an incredible nine days under rubble.
K9 dogs and professionals from Bangor, who assisted during the Creeslough tragedy, are in action in southern Turkey as efforts continue to find people alive after last Monday’s earthquake.
The heroic actions of three search dogs alerted emergency workers to a 42-year-old woman trapped alive on Tuesday. She was rescued after an extensive digging operation.
See the video below of labrador Delta indicating that a person was alive beneath the rubble:
Search dog Max, also from K9, and Search Dog Ghost from SAR Team also indicated in this rescue mission.
A total of six people were detected beneath the rubble at this location, including two young children. It’s believed the two-year-old boy and three-year-old girl are brother and sister. The team said they are awaiting news of the other five.
Last Friday the Bangor-based charity K9 Search and Rescue dispatched a two-man team, Ryan Gray and Kyle Murray, and two highly-trained search dogs, Max and Delta, to assist in Turkey. As soon as they were on the ground they joined an international rescue operation in the southern Turkish city of Adana.
K9 Search and Rescue team from Bangor, Northern Ireland, in action in Turkey
Sadly, in one case the dogs had indicated where a 20-year-old woman was buried under a seven-story apartment block, but by the time rescue workers reached her, she had died.
The team is working day and night with the assistance of colleagues from the Serve On International Response Team and Evolsar, the European Association of Civil Protection Volunteer Teams. Chinese Search and Rescue volunteers have also provided support with a state-of-the-art device that detects heartbeats under rubble.
Donations can be made to K9 Search & Rescue NI at the following links:
www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=GQ5CFT27JCDC6
