Burnaby search and rescue team returns from Venezuela after earthquake relief

Seven members of the Burnaby Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) team, including two canines, have returned home after deploying to Venezuela to assist with rescue and recovery efforts following two devastating earthquakes that struck nearly two weeks ago and killed over 3,000 people.

Ryan Berry and Brodie McKenzie were among those deployed to the ground. The team worked in areas with widespread destruction, including collapsed multi-storey high rises. One memorable moment came when they helped locate a survivor trapped beneath rubble using acoustic listening devices—McKenzie used earphones to pick up a young boy's tapping rhythm from underground, alerting the group to his location and ultimately saving his life.

"There is widespread destruction, many buildings that have come down, including many multi-storey high rises," McKenzie said. "But I am happy that we made it out there and made the impact with the resources we had at our disposal."

The deployment was emotionally taxing. After their canines determined no one remained alive at certain sites, team members had to inform family members still hoping to find their relatives that their loved ones would not be coming home.

"One of the most challenging parts of the deployment was a lot of the work sites we were working, there were family members digging with their hands, trying to locate missing family members," Berry said.

Burnaby USAR is a grassroots, non-profit organization relying on donations to fund international deployments. The team says they bring experience and knowledge gained from such missions back to train for potential disasters at home. Both McKenzie and Berry expressed deep admiration for Venezuela's resilience in the face of tragedy.