Heroic border collie Tsunami saves 13 people trapped under rubble after Venezuela earthquake
On his final mission he saved a man who had been trapped under rubble for six days.
A border collie rescue dog in Venezuela has saved at least 13 people trapped under rubble following last weeks devastating earthquake.
In his final mission before retiring, nine-year-old Tsunami sniffed out survivors trapped under debris, some for as long as six days.
More than 1700 people have died since the back-to-back earthquakes of 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude struck last Wednesday, with the death toll still expected to rise.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.Tsunami, alongside handler Jorge Beens, was working as part of the K-SAR ECID rescue canine unit to search for survivors.
Search and rescue dogs can identify a person’s smell even when they are buried as much as 10m under rubble.
Tsunami was able to detect signs of life and mark precise locations beneath the debris before rescue crews dug through the wreckage and pulled out survivors.
Among those saved by Tsunami was a 60-year-old man who had been trapped underneath the rubble for six days.
Tsunami is no stranger to disaster zones having previously worked during earthquake rescue missions in Turkey and Syria, as well as flood and landslide rescue operations across Venezuela.
The heroic border collie was found abandoned in the Venezuelan capital Caracas, abused and malnourished as a puppy.
He was rescued and recruited by rescue specialist Mr Beens for his energy and intelligence.
Tsunami underwent years of intensive training to specialise in locating victims trapped beneath collapsed buildings.
Following his heroics in finding trapped victims of the earthquake in Venezuela, Tsunami was examined by a vet who reported he had experienced severe physical exhaustion.
After receiving an intravenous drip and undergoing medical supervision, Tsunami was cleared from duty, with the mission being marked as his final one before retirement.
Footage of Tsunami sniffing the debris-filled streets of northern Venezuela has been widely shared online, with people praising his heroics.
The international community has rallied to help Venezuela deal with the disaster, with most help focused in La Guaira, the hardest-hit area.
It is not clear how many people are still trapped, with official websites used by citizens to register missing loved ones showing around 45,000 people still unaccounted for.
Originally published on PerthNow
