Cape Town –The humanitarian organisation Gift of the Givers says it was all excitement, hope and faith when they retrieved an 80-year-old lady from the rubble in Hatay, Türkiye.
A SAPS K9 unit team which travelled with the organisation came to the rescue of an 80-year-old woman who had been trapped beneath the rubble.
Speaking to eNCA, Gift of the Givers spokesperson Ahmad Bham said after plucking the 80-year-old from the rubble: “As we have said, how can you put a value to one life? Just taking out a survivor, I mean the feeling is the best in the world to actually do that.
“But also we have been doing body recoveries to bring closure to other family members and finding the live patients, that is what we ultimately are here for as the rescue team,” he said.
He also said that there were two more survivors to be rescued who were detected by the SAPS K9 unit.
“Our teams now together with the Oman rescue teams are going to assist in terms of ensuring and trying to locate the other two so that they can be pulled out safely,” Bham told the media.
Leading rescue operations, Brigadier Vimla Moodley, told IOL that it has been a difficult period for the rescue teams but the rescue of the 80-year-old was a proud moment.
"It has been a very physical difficult period for us and having rescued someone of that age where you are not sure she will make it or not, because it is very cold ... it was the greatest moment" she said.
Moodley said that regardless of the difficult circumstances and pressure. they have been working well with rescue teams from other countries.
"Teams are doing a lot under these difficult circumstances ... some of our team members got injured while trying to rescue victims who were trapped," she said.
Moodley also said it was heart-wrenching to see people crying, losing hope and asking questions about the possibility of finding their family members alive.
IOL