Pasadena Rescue Workers Back From Montecito Describe Devastation
PASADENA (CBSLA) — A team that helped with the search and rescue effort in Montecito has returned home to Pasadena. The group tirelessly searched the mud and debris for a week. CBS2's Jo Kwon met some of the members of the team.
Pasadena Fire Captain Robert Sepulveda and Firefighter Paramedic Matthew Caffey, and members of Regional Task Force Four got the call seven days ago — their help was needed in Montecito.
"It looked like a tsunami came into town and just entirely wiped out the whole infrastructure," Sepulveda said.
They arrived to a sea of debris and mud.
"Wood, trees, heavy boulders." Sepulveda said.
It was a shocking scene, they said.
"You're just like, where do I start?" Caffey said. "Crazy that you're standing on the foundation of a home that should be there, and it's completely gone."
They got to work searching through sewer-soaked sludge.
"So we basically taped from our ankles to basically our knees to keep as much water and fluids off of us,' Caffey said.
Having to get creative to find ways to avoid sinking was critical.
Two surfboards were used to get the team across the thick mud. They also used trash can lids creating bridges and walkways to spots that might help them find answers for families with missing loved ones.
"Photo album, or you'd find a bottle of wine, or champagne, or a little kid's Elmo, you know, something like that," Caffey said. "So that kind of brought the reality to the challenge of that the potential is real that people could be in here."
The community is grateful.
"We were getting so many hugs and kisses from everyone in the town of Montecito," Sepulveda said.
It helped them keep going. They were unable to locate any of the missing. But the team says the most difficult part of the physically and emotionally draining task was getting word last night they were being sent home.
"We still have a 2-year-old out there missing," Sepulveda said.
Said Caffey: "Don't want to leave. All of us, our whole crew, we all work so hard together, we'd stay as long as we needed to help the families out."