By Sarah Curran
A BANGOR man who has arrived in Venezuela with his search dog, says he still has hope for earthquake survivors.
Ryan Gray, founder of K9 Search and Rescue NI, arrived on Tuesday to aid the relief operation in the earthquake- hit country, along with his rescue dog Max.
Venezuela was hit with two large earthquakes, with magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5, last Wednesday, destroying more than 800 buildings, with people trapped inside.
It is reported that over 1,700 people have died from the quakes, with many more feared dead and tens of thousands believed to be missing.
The specialist urban search dog and handler team are set to work alongside international teams to help locate survivors trapped within collapsed structures.
While hopeful he and Max will find survivors, Ryan said there was a ‘smell of death’ around them amongst the devastation.
The rescue duo travelled to Venezuela along with Shauna Harper, also from K9, and are working with their partners, Serve On.
They began their long journey last Thursday, when they travelled from Belfast to London. From there they travelled to Madrid, Columbia, Panama and finally Venezuela.
While the route was long and took several days, Ryan said Max took it in his stride.
“It is incredibly hot and humid here,” Ryan said. “Working conditions are challenging and dangerous.
“The picture is very sad, that being said we are focusing now on only trying to rescue people. There are buildings all around us and rescue continues 24 hours. There is a smell of death all around us.
“We still have hope for survivors. It is a challenging and dangerous place to operate in. If we didn’t think we could still save life, we would come out of the area. If there are survivors in a worksite we are sent to, I have no doubt Max will indicate he has found someone and every effort will go into getting them out.”
Back in Northern Ireland, K9, who operate from Main Street in Bangor, have been providing 24 hour monitoring for the Venezuela crew, as well as providing rapid extraction plans and giving weather reports every six hours.
With time ticking on since the natural disaster, every hour is now deemed crucial in the rescue mission, with the likelihood of finding survivors decreasing.
The first 48 to 72 hours after a natural disaster are crucial to rescue efforts, though survival can be extended if people have access to food and water.
With rescuers continuing to find some survivors amongst the destruction and debris, there is still a glimmer of hope that not all is lost.
A spokesman for K9 Search and Rescue NI said: “Our volunteers have
faced and overcome significant travel challenges over the past few days, but their determination to reach those in need has never wavered.
“Despite cancelled flights, changing routes and logistical difficulties, the team’s commitment to saving lives has remained unwavering.”
Speaking of hope and optimism, the spokesman continued: “It is incredibly encouraging to hear that, just hours ago, a father and son were rescued alive from beneath the rubble. This serves as a powerful reminder that there is still hope and that every hour counts in the search for survivors.”
“Our thoughts remain with all those affected by this devastating earthquake, and with the emergency responders working tirelessly to save lives,” the spokesperson concluded.
While survivors are still being pulled from rubble, the UN have said they will provide 10,000 body bags, now the search mission is well past the 72-hour critical window to find survivors.
As hopes fade of finding more survivors, Major Jorge Montanero, of the EQ11 rescue team from Guayaquil, on Equador’s Pacific coast, said: “In the end, we believe the days have already passed and that what we will find now is death.”
Donations to support the work of K9 Search and Rescue can be made at: https://gofund.me/dc9c9bab4
