LASD Search and Rescue team returns from Turkey after devastating earthquake
LOS ANGELES - Seven members from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Search and Rescue team reported to Turkey to help following the devastating magnitude 7.8 earthquake.
The team, including six men and one woman, returned from the nearly week-long mission on Wednesday.
"It was an amazing experience full of triumph and tragedy. We had three live rescues which was a lot more than I anticipated prior to going so that definitely made the trip worthwhile," said Mike Leum, the team leader for the rescue mission and a volunteer reserve deputy search and rescue team member.
Leum said their team recovered several bodies during the mission.
"There was obviously a lot of tragedy with grieving family members and trying to provide them closure by accessing their loved ones that were underneath these piles of rubble," said Leum.
Leum said he knew he wanted to help when he heard about the earthquake and assembled a team.
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"It was definitely a grassroots effort. As soon as the earthquake hit, I called six fellow team members that I trust with my life and suggested that we try and go and they all agreed. When we got there, we didn't really have much of a plan so I instantly introduced myself to their people basically working in the capacity of FEMA for Turkey so they have their own version of FEMA. Our FEMA had LA County Fire over there as a task force along with a task force from Virginia and we were flying solo on our own. We had daily missions," said Leum.
Leum's team rescued a mother and son, and also rescued a 17-year-old boy from the rubble. His team also spent days working to rescue a grandmother.
"We spent two days working on trying to access a grandmother who was known to be trapped underneath a bunch of rubble, unknown if she was alive or dead and we spent two days drilling holes with this collapsed structure and I just found out hours ago that she was located. I do not know in what condition, if she was found alive or deceased," said Leum.
Leum has responded to hurricanes in the past, and also went to Ukraine last March following the war.
"It's something you don't get used to because it's always kind of a shock to the system and myself and my teammates are still processing everything that happened over there, the good and the bad," he said.
Leum said they worked with a translator a couple of the days, and the other days, they found people who spoke English on the rescue sites or used hand signals to communicate.
He said the people in Turkey were very grateful for the help.
"It was amazing to see the appreciation of the Turkish people, the victims, the family members of victims and the other rescue teams when they saw that America was actually there on the ground working side by side, hand in hand with them," said Leum.
Leum said their airfare was covered, and they received private donations for their hotel stay, car and incidentals, at no cost to the taxpayers.