A Chinese woman sits in front of a collapsed building while waiting for news on her missing family members near a damaged school following Monday's powerful 7.9 magnitude earthquake in Hanwang town in Sichuan province, China on Wednesday. Eight members of the Red Deer Search and Rescue team have headed to China to help search for victims of a devastating earthquake
Red Deer rescuers headed for China / ADVOCATE EXCLUSIVE
By Advocate staff
Published: May 14, 2008 2:36 PM
Updated: May 14, 2008 4:05 PM
Eight members of the Red Deer Search and Rescue team have headed to China to help search for victims of a devastating earthquake.
Bev Sliger, past president of the team, said Wednesday the five men and three women left Tuesday night from Calgary and were expected to land in Hong Kong sometime Wednesday.
Sliger said she didn’t have permission to release the names of the rescuers.
All eight received the “amazing co-operation of their employers” to participate in the rescue work, she said.
The members are expected to return home in about 10 days.
Sliger said the effort was organized by Doug Copp of the Sydney, N.S., area who is the rescue manager of the American Rescue Team International (ARTI).
Sliger said a member of the Red Deer group had an agreement with ARTI in February to assist with any worldwide rescue effort if needed.
Sliger said the rescue effort has no involvement with either the Alberta or federal governments.
