Odesa rescue divers saved about 100 people in flooded Kherson region in two weeks

The rescuers worked from eight in the morning to twenty-two in the evening and were constantly in Kherson. Denys Leshik, rescue diver, Odesa regional department of State emergency service, said this at a briefing at the Media Center Ukraine – Odesa.

The main task of the rescuers was to go by boat to the flooded buildings, pick up the injured people and bring them to the collection point, where medics, police, colleagues from the State Emergency Service and volunteers were already waiting for them.

“There was shelling, but we came not to be afraid, but to save lives. People were taking only animals, money and documents, they didn’t even take clothes. I remember how we had to carry a lying senior woman down from the ninth floor. It was difficult morally, but we managed. We rescued a lot of animals and people, about 100 people, but we did not count them on purpose,” – the rescuer said.

In addition to the shelling by russian troops, the current and terrain also posed a danger, said Ivan Honchar, motorist of rescue diving service of Odesa regional department of State emergency service.

“The depth was different everywhere, it was difficult to work. The water flooded everything. Even the fenced playgrounds were flooded. There was a danger of running into this fence,” – Ivan Honchar said.

He added that it was difficult to rescue the animals because they were scared. 

“I remember we were sailing on a boat and saw two dogs near a house. When we returned, there were already four dogs in that place. We tried to save them, but they ran away from us, even though they were scared. We had to look for food so that they could trust us, and we could save them,” – the rescuer said.  

Mykola Kaskov, chief officer of rescue diving service of Odesa regional department of State emergency service, said that many rubber boats were damaged by russian shelling in the first days after the flood. 

“Our boat is made of aluminum, it was also hit, but it continued to work. Our car was also damaged. It was difficult and dangerous, but we managed to do our job. Volunteers helped us a lot. We exchanged everything with them – food, ropes, boats. They helped us, we helped them. The coordination was very good,” – Mykola Kaskov added.

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