Update From Diesel The Dog In Nepal
Northsound News has had an update on Diesel, the Aberdeenshire rescue dog, out saving lives in Nepal.
Last week we told you the story of Fire and Rescue dog Diesel, from Torphins.
He went out to Nepal last week with six Aberdeen firefighters to join efforts to locate survivors of a deadly earthquake in Nepal.
So far over 7,500 people have died since the 7.8 magnitude earthquake.
Gary Caroll is Diesel's owner, and has described what they have experienced out in Nepal:
“It was all a rush when the call came. I was looking forward to being able to help people and putting the training Diesel’s had into action.
“On the ground we’ve seen total destruction in some of the outlying areas of Nepal - most buildings are affected in some way. I saw a lot of buildings that have collapsed. We’ve also seen buildings partially collapsed and landslides. A lot of people are under tents or covers because they are too scared to be in the buildings.
“Diesel and I were tasked to search two buildings. Diesel worked well - he covered the whole area and did what he was trained to do.
“Diesel has coped well in Nepal - he’s stayed calm and relaxed. He was fine on the plane over and generally being here doesn’t seem to have fazed him - he’s just the same as at home. He got his fur clipped a few weeks ago during an exercise in France so he was ready to cope with the heat.
“It’s great fun working with a dog. It is very rewarding and they can make a difference to our work. For example the dogs can help identify casualties which is an extra tool for the team.
“This is Diesel’s first search and rescue deployment. It’s been great getting him trained up to a point where he can deploy.
“When I send Diesel into a building I’m always concerned he could get injured. But that’s the job. We always size up a building before we send the dogs in and always give them a good check-up after a search.
“We’ve got a very close bond. We’ve been through this together - I’m looking out for him and I think he’s looking out for me.”