JUPITER, Fla. — After two devastating earthquakes a 7.2 and a 7.5 magnitude quake rocked Venezuela, rescuers raced against the clock to find survivors.
Among them were five members of Palm Beach County Fire Rescue and their search dog, Piper. The South Florida team spent eight days searching through debris in La Guaira, including 58 straight hours working to rescue a security guard trapped beneath the rubble.
WATCH: RESCUERS RACE AGAINST THE CLOCK
Members of Florida Task Force Two say they worked in 12-hour shifts, digging by hand through tons of concrete to reach the man.
Rescue Squad Officer Sam Adler says the final push to free the security guard took about nine hours, but the entire operation lasted more than two days.
“There was so much debris,” Adler said. “I believe they said there was 160 tons of concrete on top of the guard shack.”
Adler says crews had to tunnel about 25 feet through the rubble. In some areas, the space was only about 36 inches wide.
K-9 search specialist Alex Parada says Piper played a key role in locating the trapped security guard.
“Piper is a live-find dog,” Parada said. “The dogs are lighter and more agile, so where a normal human being would stumble walking in the rubble, the dogs are able to traverse all that and use their nose to locate potential victims.”
Now back home, the rescue team says they’ve had time to reflect on the mission.
Adler, who has spent 34 years with the fire department and 14 years with Florida Task Force Two, calls it the pinnacle of his career.
“I’ve never seen anything like it and probably never will again,” Adler said.
He also says the response from the Venezuelan people is something he will never forget.
“They were so happy to see rescuers from all over the world come in to assist finding their loved ones and doing what we do,” Adler said.
