A Burnley firefighter has returned from Turkey following the devastating earthquakes that hit the country earlier this month.
Chris Jowett, crew manager at Blackburn fire station, was deployed to Turkey on February 6 just hours after a 7.8 and a 7.5 magnitude earthquake hit the country and northern Syria.
The 32-year-old returned home on Thursday, February 16, after joining other members of the International Search and Rescue team, who helped save survivors who were trapped in the rubble.
Other Lancashire firefighters including Wayne Ward, Jim Davison, Adam Varey, Lindsay Sielski and Jon Hardman were also sent to the country.
Chris said it was difficult to explain the devastation and heartbreak he witnessed across the province of Hatay.
He said: “It’s like another world and is unlike anything you’ve ever seen before.
“It’s carnage. People are sleeping on the streets, thousands are stood on rubble piles searching for relatives. There was so much desperation.
“It was almost like a sensory overload, with siren noises, machinery working and people trying to communicate with you in another language.
“We also spent quite a lot of time consoling family members, which is quite hard to do when they don’t speak your language."
Chris said it was a “rollercoaster of emotions” and said the team spent a lot of time recovering bodies.
He said: "You go from being on cloud nine after making a rescue and then that comes crashing back down after finding something devastating.
“We were working long hours and it was the time between tasks and rescues when the reality of what you are doing would hit.
“I have two daughters and when I saw any kind of wreckage littered with toys or children’s beds I would find that really tough.
“But you would have to keep your composure and get on with the work you have been tasked with.”
Chris even opened up about the miraculous moment a woman was saved from a seven-storey apartment block that had collapsed.
This was after a police officer said he had received text messages from inside the building.
The woman, and another man she was trapped with, survived for five days without water.
Chris said: “We walked by a seven storey apartment block that had completely collapsed.
“We had to work out which information was legitimate as people, understandably, would say anything to encourage us to help find their loved ones.
“After listening we thought we could hear somebody tapping in the building.”
The team spent 20 hours tunnelling through the debris until they finally found the duo.
Chris said: “We were just hoping that the banging was being made by a person and that we were heading in the right direction towards them.
“Eventually, we heard a lady shouting in Turkish, saying she was with another man.
“She’d been there for five days without water.
“I can only imagine what was going through their minds after being on their own for five days and then having people coming to rescue you out of nowhere."
Chris said it was moments like this that made their dangerous trip to the country worthwhile.
He said: “The death toll is huge and we saw a lot of horrible things. Experiences like that make you realise what a difference you are making to some people’s lives.
“It was a life-changing experience and so proud to be part of a team that made such a difference.
“It makes you realise how lucky you are to be able to come home and escape that kind of life.”
Chris is now encouraging anyone who is able to donate to charities supporting the earthquake appeal, such as the Red Cross.
He said: “People in Turkey and Syria need help and aid. Many charities are doing a great job in helping people and survivors.
“If you want to help even a small donation to one of those charities will make a huge difference.”
To donate to the Red Cross visit: www.donate.redcross.org.uk
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