After the fires in Hawaii, the search for at least a thousand missing persons continues

Lahaina rescuers continue to search for survivors despite the conditions and emotional toll following the August 8 fires that devastated the historic Hawaiian town.

Hundreds of rescuers from several U.S. states are working piecemeal in Lahaina, on the island of Maui, to search for nearly a thousand missing people among the ashes and the few structures still standing, aided by dogs and other means. .

Fire trucks, cargo vehicles and cranes constantly drive in and out of the only entrance to devastated Lahaina, which is guarded 24 hours a day by police and military so only search professionals can enter.

After a six-hour visit by US President Joe Biden to Maui; The same routine of the last days in Lahaina after the devastating fires continued, as residents are oblivious to political speeches.

Hawaii Governor Josh Green said on Sunday that more than 1,000 people are still missing, many of them children.

Dozens of volunteers and some of the 3,000 Red Cross members who have moved to Maui work at the island’s largest food collection and distribution center, where affected families continually gather for basic necessities.

On the other hand, about 680 members of the military and 156 members of the Coast Guard are actively employed. “It’s urban search and rescue teams, we have multiple lines of action, it’s a very traumatic experience that the community is still dealing with,” Maui Mayor Richard Bissen told me by phone.

help from sniffer dogs

In addition to military personnel, 300 members of urban search teams and about 40 specialized rescue dogs from several states have arrived on Maui.

One of these dog units (consisting of a dog and its handler or trainer) is that of Sylvia Arango and Freya, a four-and-a-half-year-old “golden retriever” who “looks for missing people who can find people.” “I can’t find it,” says Arango.

The 65-year-old trainer has been with a search party in South Florida since 1998, and Freya was certified as a rescuer two and a half years ago.

“These dogs are trained to recognize scents, unlike humans who focus the search on sight, so we complement each other. If Freya finds a human, alive or a body, she warns us by barking,” Arango said in an interview with EFE.

Dressed in a blue vest, with slippers to protect her legs and goggles to prevent ash from getting into her eyes, Freya runs through the damaged structures in search of bodies.

This is the third mission of her career, last year this dog participated in the rescue of people after Hurricane Ian swept through the Caribbean and the collapse of the Surfside building in Miami.

Sylvia Arango pauses to remember that she needs to put aside the emotional part and feelings in this kind of situation to be most effective.

“I’ve been doing this for 25 years, but I’m not a firefighter, I’m a retired teacher. For me it is very satisfying to be able to bring someone home with my partner Freya, who is also my therapy to somehow overcome the destruction that is being experienced here,” he emphasized to EFE.

Forensic Anthropology

The work of the rescuers continues, they inspect the last cars that are under the ashes. They mark with an “X” those who have no human remains found and with the letters “HR” in which there are indications of fatalities.

When these teams find evidence of bodies, the work of the six forensic anthropologists on the island will begin, who will help identify the human remains after a complicated process that they warn will take time.

Of the 115 confirmed deaths to date, only 13 have been identified. Hundreds are still missing.

The island’s local authorities are warning the general population to limit outdoor activities due to the high temperatures, but the rescuers’ work is not giving up due to the greatest tragedy in Hawaiian history. (JO)

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