Survivor hugs savior dog
An earthquake survivor in Turkey was recorded in video hugging the search dog who helped a team spot him under the rubble.
"Sen var ya sen... Beni kurtaran köpek"
— gdh (@gundemedairhs) February 19, 2023
Kahramanmaraş'ta bir vatandaş, enkaz altından 3 gün sonra kurtarılmasını sağlayan arama kurtarma köpeği ile buluştu, teşekkür etti. pic.twitter.com/yUP5aHdf5Z
The man cried out in joy as he hugged the animal, "You, you!.. My savior!.."
The search dog is a member of a team of Ankara's firefighters who took part in rescue operations after the twin earthquakes that struck on 6 February.
In another incident, a quake victim named Melike Imamoglu was pulled from the rubble by rescuers in the city of Maras on Wednesday, after the search dog Delta, a member of a rescue team from Norther Ireland, had indicated at the site she was found alive.
An indication is when a search dog signals that they have detected a specific scent.
A spokesperson from Turkey's Disaster and Emergency Management (AFAD) had told Al-Monitor that some 400 dogs have partaken in search for survivors under the rubble.
“There are currently 86 search and rescue dogs from Turkey and 306 dogs from other countries who have arrived to aid the region." AFAD's spokesperson had said.
Pia and Asko, two brown hounds of a German rescue team, have earlier helped save more than 10 people buried under the rubble, according to German rescuer Danelva Felix who spoke to Ihlas news agency.
Torin, a black-and-white search dog from Kyrgyzstan, helped save two people under the rubble in Maras.
Proteo, a German Shepherd and a member of a Mexican team, died during search and rescue operations in Turkey trying to help save lives.