London paramedic volunteers for rescue mission in Bosnia

A London Ambulance Service paramedic who volunteered to help train a Bosnian search and rescue team ended up on a real mission when disaster struck in the country.

Marc Lister, who is a paramedic in the Hazardous Area Response Team (HART) and a swift water rescue instructor, was asked to join a small team of British experts to teach the Bosnian military helicopter squadrons in rescue techniques last month.

But shortly after Marc and the team arrived in Bosnia-Herzegovina, deadly floods and landslides devastated the region, close to where they were training.

Marc and the team, which included Chris Kendall and Stuart Chee, who, in the UK, work for Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service and Avon Fire and Rescue Service respectively, immediately volunteered to join what was then still a rescue mission.

As soon as they got the green light from the British Embassy and the Bosnian military, the small team headed towards the disaster zone.

Marc, 48, said: “I’ve been a paramedic for 25 years but I have never seen anything like that. The town of Jablanica had been completely flattened in a landslide and was partly submerged in water.”

Locals warned him the risks included bears, wolves, snakes and unexploded landmines.

Undeterred, Marc, his two teammates and the British Embassy’s Assistant Defence Attaché worked tirelessly to clear the rubble and search for survivors.

They borrowed clothing and equipment from the local military base and organised local volunteers to search the scene where a number of houses had slid down the hillside, hoping to find someone alive.

Marc said: “As water levels dropped – we found people in their cars. They’d been trying to flee the landslide but didn’t make it out in time.”

The team designed search patterns and grids using drones and satellite images to compare before and after pictures and ensured that every area was thoroughly searched.

They even found a couple of kayaks to get across the mud and water so they could reach more buildings.

Sadly, despite the selfless and courageous effort of the volunteers, only bodies were recovered. Relatives were, however, immensely grateful their loved ones had been found – allowing them proper burials and a sense of closure for those grieving.

Marc added: “I wasn’t scared because the training kicks in. I knew what we needed to do. HART paramedics train in multiple specialist subjects and this was testing many elements of them.

“Along with the Fire and Rescue service team and the invaluable assistance of the Assistant Defence Attaché we had a clear structure and were able to and communicate effectively and translate these efforts to the local teams.

“But nothing can really prepare you for the emotional toll of what we encountered. But I have ways to decompress and knowing we made a difference helps.

“We’ve been asked to return next year to continue training their troops, and I’ve said yes.”

Natasha Wills, Director of Resilience and Specialist Assets at London Ambulance Service, said: “Marc was off-duty when he volunteered to help train the Bosnian military.

“It was sheer coincidence he happened to be in the country when his clinical and rescue skills were needed most. I’m immensely proud of the way he wanted to help out and that his training as a HART paramedic meant he was prepared for such a harrowing and dangerous mission.

“He demonstrated critical thinking, problem-solving and most of all empathy, care and compassion – all skills and traits that make a great paramedic.”

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ENDS