FOLLOWING a devastating earthquake in Peru last week which left hundreds dead, an international rescue service that originated in Okehampton sent a specialist team to help last Thursday. Graham Payne OBE, a director of RAPID-UK, said that the non-government organisation whose members volunteer their skills and time time, responded to a request by the Peruvian Government to assist in the rescue operations. Tens of thousands of people lost their homes after an earthquake measuring eight on the Richter Scale hit the towns of Ica and Pisco, south of the capital Lima. Power supplies, telecommunications and road links are severely disrupted. The team of four ? Paul Worcester, Andy Dambridge, Dan Cook and Rebecca Ellis ? flew out to the region to join with RAPID-PERU, a team trained by RAPID-UK, to assist with the rescue of people still trapped in collapsed buildings. By coincidence the RAPID-PERU personnel were already in the area, searching for a British backpacker, who had gone missing. Graham, who lives in Jacobstowe and went to Pakistan himself in a recent rescue, told the Times: ?We offered our assistance after speaking to the Peruvian ambassador in London. He said he could not guarantee Government authority ?but take it from me ? go?. ?The four personnel each have lots of experience in tunnelling after earthquakes. They have high tech equipment, a thermal imaging camera, CO2 detectors and a snake eye ? a very powerful camera, which can be pushed into a void and rotate 360 degrees. They also have very sensitive location equipment.? RAPID-UK?s last deployment was to Pakistan where they successfully rescued seven people trapped in an apartment in Islamabad. RAPID-UK is also involved in the training and development of local disaster management teams in areas of the world vulnerable to large-scale natural disasters. These teams are currently being set up in Colombia, Pakistan, Peru and India. Using specialist training, skills and expertise, RAPID-UK volunteer teams have to date attended earthquakes, floods and hurricanes in more than 24 countries. Graham said the team have been most successful before, saving lives in very difficult circumstances. RAPID-UK has been assisting in helping people during the recent floods in Yorkshire and Gloucestershire.
