Pta K-9 handler lauded for Turkey quake rescue
The K-9 Search and Rescue team deployed to Turkey helped to recover an 80-year-old woman buried in the earthquake rubble in Hatay.
A Pretoria police K-9 search and rescue handler helped rescue an 80-year-old woman from a collapsed building in Turkey, on Monday.
Warrant-Officer Len Willemse and his team have been lauded by the police commissioner for their work in Turkey.
Turkey and Syria suffered an earthquake which inflicted large-scale loss of life and several injuries.
The Middle East countries recorded deaths of over 41 000 people due to an earthquake on February 6, 2023.
The magnitude of the earthquake was registered at 7.8.
Police commissioner, General Fannie Masemola hailed his K-9 search and rescue (SAR) team for its recovery effort saying it was the epitome of pockets of excellence that exist in the police.
“The team has been hard at work, searching and locating victims where excavators and rescuers would take over to recover victims.
We are happy to hear that our role yielded significant results and we were able to provide closure to the people of Turkey.”
The team consists of:
– leader, Brigadier Vimla Moodley, Eastern Cape head of police emergency services (PES),
– Warrant-Officer Tinalia Gouws, a K-9 search and rescue handler in the Lydenberg K-9 unit in Mpumalanga
– Warrant-Officer Martin Bann (Benoni K-9 unit)
– Warrant-Officer Keagan Naidoo (Johannesburg K-9)
– Warrant-Officer Len Willemse, (Pretoria K-9)
– Sergeant Jennifer Seleka, (Mahikeng K-9) in North West.
Spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe said: “The SAPS takes this opportunity to commend the members who have represented the organisation and South Africa with great pride.”
Mathe said the team would return to South Africa on February 18.
“For the past week, the team has led numerous search operations for survivors and to recover the bodies of deceased victims.”
She said the K-9 search and rescue dogs with their handlers were trained to search for missing persons and recover dead bodies.
“They also detect human scent, remains and are able to find victims of floods and collapsed buildings.”
She said among the successes of the team was rescuing the 80-year-old woman from a collapsed building.
The woman was found by K9 rescue dog Donna, as well as Warrant-Officer Gouws, who detected the scent of the woman buried in the rubble in Hatay.
Gift of the Givers in a statement said: “Hats off to Donna, the sniffer dog who was the first to pick up the scent.
This dog used her incredible sense of smell to lead her handler, Warrant-Officer Gouws, to the woman who was miraculously found alive. Congratulations to both Donna and Warrant-Officer Gouws for their tireless and outstanding effort.”
Gift of the Givers, the disaster response, non-governmental organisation, said its staff in Syria and Turkey had been helping with rescue efforts since it was called to assist.
“Gift of the Givers only responds if a call is made by the affected country for international assistance. Not only has the call been made but we have been contacted directly by Turkish Ambassador to South Africa, Aysegul Kandas, and Consul General in Cape Town, Sinan Yesildag, to assist in this huge disaster.”
The organisation is facilitating the transportation of food, medical supplies, equipment, consumables, tents, blankets and other humanitarian aid to Turkey.
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