Canadian rescuers helped find young survivor in Venezuela quake rubble

A Canadian search and rescue team played a crucial role in locating a young survivor trapped in earthquake rubble in Venezuela, a country grappling with a death toll nearing 3,000 and over 16,000 people left homeless. Seven members from Burnaby Urban Search and Rescue, accompanied by two search dogs, spent four days scouring some of the nation's most severely affected areas.

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If I were to describe it in one word, I’d say it was devastating.

Ryan Berry, president of Burnaby Urban Search and Rescue, described the scene upon returning home as "devastating." He recounted witnessing entire city blocks collapsed, with buildings of all sizes pancaked and completely destroyed. The Burnaby-based team deployed as a light urban search and rescue unit, enabling a rapid entry into the disaster zone. Deployment director Shawn Mohammed highlighted the team's agility, stating that being a light unit allows them to reach a country sooner, which is critical for assessing needs within the first 48 to 36 hours.

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Being light compared to medium to heavy teams gives us the operational agility to get into country sooner.

Working in intense heat, the team employed specialized techniques, starting with drone surveillance followed by canine units trained to detect both live and deceased individuals. Both canine units independently indicated a "live hit," prompting the deployment of acoustic listening equipment. This led to the successful rescue of a young boy. However, Berry noted the profound difficulty of celebrating a single life saved when surrounded by such immense loss and ongoing recovery efforts by desperate family members.

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Both our K9 units, separately, both indicated a live hit.

Many Venezuelans have voiced concerns about their government's response, pointing to delays in aid delivery and a shortage of heavy machinery needed for clearing debris. Mohammed emphasized the need for flexibility and adaptability in responding to disasters of this magnitude.

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But when you’re in that situation and you’re working on sites where family members are digging with their bare hands trying to find their loved ones, it’s a very limited feeling (of) celebration.