At the heart of an unimaginable tragedy in Turkey, a few lives are hanging on against the odds. Buried in the rubble of collapsed buildings, survivors are still there hoping to be rescued - and a team including firefighters from Swansea and Haverfordwest is out there saving them.
The United Kingdom International Search and Rescue Team (UK ISAR) is a 77-strong team of firefighters from across the UK who volunteer to travel to the scenes of international disasters at the drop of the hat. On Monday, they got the call: "you're going to Turkey, to help rescue people from a devastating earthquake" -one which has since claimed 24,000 lives.
"There is no typical day, but there is a typical ISAR technician who will work to find solutions to problems," says Phil Irving, usually a watch manager in Haverfordwest. "It’s that attitude which makes us one of the leading teams in the world… that’s not arrogant, I’m just proud to be a member of it. The tenacity to rescue people, give them compassion and try and alleviate their trauma is profound."
