TEHRAN--Rescue workers of Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS) are those who devote their lives to rescue people. They go deep into the incident to rescue the trapped person without any delay or hesitation. Amir Momeni is one of the rescue workers who speaks about the stressful minutes among the storm and the fire.

Momeni, Head of the Rasht Lifeguard and Diving Board and a member of the Gilan Rapid Response Team, is one of these heroes; someone who has dedicated his life to the IRCS since the age of 12 and has had a prominent presence in every crisis, from the Bam and Kermanshah earthquakes to rescuing dozens of people from the waves, IRNA wrote.

This time he has a shocking story of a few turbulent days in Tehran, a story of a breathtaking battle with debris and time, where every second could cost lives, and in the meantime, the voice of a rescuer was a miracle.

Momeni said: “Since the early minutes when the Israeli missile attack started, we were immediately dispatched from Rasht to Tehran, a 11-member team along with sniffer dogs and two equipped vehicles. 

He said afterwards, the second rescue team joined them and their number rose to 40. 

He said they started the rubble-clearing operation in a collapsed building in Tehran with the help of the sniffer dogs, and in addition to saving lives, they also respectfully removed the bodies of the martyrs from inside the building.

His team worked non-stop for four days and nights in Tehran's Municipal Districts 19, 20, and 2.

“We were present at the rubble-clearing sites day and night. The team leader announced and gave the location, and we would go to the scene and clean up the place.” In the past few days, they were able to pull three people alive from under the rubble and find 16 bodies.

He explained: “There was a company there, one of the men was stuck in a chair and his foot was under the rubble, in fact, there were two floors of the building under the rubble, this mission was dangerous for us too. However, in an hour until the tools arrived, we were able to save the three people. If we hadn't, the rubble would have gradually reached the bottom with the volume of people who were on the rubble and they would have lost their lives.”

Momeni continued: "One of the colleagues, who is of small stature, went inside first, then I went. We ensured safety there, connected the oxygen machine, after that we were able to get the three people, two men and a woman, out of there alive. It was a very sensitive moment, the woman was further away and when we reached the bottom of the tunnel, through the sound of her screams, we were able to find her and save her." This story presents a vivid picture of the operation scene, the dangers and of course the sweetness of the rescue.
Momeni pointed to one of the sweetest moments of his mission: "The same lady, who was under the rubble when she was rescued, told us that she thought she would never get out of the rubble. She said, “I thought to myself, “My eyes will never see the light again. But when I heard your voice in the darkness, it was a miracle”.” These words are an indescribable motivation for Momeni and her colleagues to continue their job: “These very issues motivate us to move forward and work in these critical conditions.” 

Momeni pointed to the roots of his love for relief work: “I have been in the Red Crescent since I was 12 years old. Thanks to Dr. Pirhossein Kolivand, I became a member. I have a degree in self-sacrifice and have served in various crises.” He pointed out that this particular incident was very rare and stressful: “But this incident is really stressful and we have actually put our lives in the palm of our hands.” He pointed to the Red Crescent training that has taught them to be with people and save them. But at the same time, he also emphasized his own fear: “I myself was a little afraid, especially when we rescued the three people who were under the rubble, but I have entrusted myself to God.” 

One of the most impressive points in Momeni's speech is his concern for his family: “Thanks to God and my mother's prayers, I have not suffered in these dangerous missions to this day. My family still does not know how much risk I am in, and I tell them in a way that they do not realize the depth of the disaster because the worry and stress of our family affects our work. The same resentment and worry also upset us, so I do not tell my family anything about the details of my missions.” This sentence shows the height of selflessness and dedication of the rescuers, who even hide their personal concerns in order to carry out their duties.

Momeni also referred to the painful incident of the explosion and the martyrdom of the rescuers: "I was also present at the explosion and the martyrdom of our rescuers. They went to provide relief and did not expect another explosion to occur. They were the first team to arrive at the scene. We pulled out six martyrs alongside the IRIB. They were near the IRIB building." These sacrifices show the extent to which the rescuers put their lives in the palm of their hands.

Referring to the difficult conditions of the operation, he said: "When this incident occurred, they told us to send forces who were not afraid because drones were circling above us. We were carrying out the mission inside these events. The conditions were difficult. We saw missiles passing by. We also turned off the lights at night so that it would not be dangerous."

Finally, this dedicated rescuer mentioned the psychological aspects of rescue work: "We have seen very sad scenes in the past few days, but I personally try to erase these scenes from my mind so that I can continue. Seeing the bodies of the victims is really sad. Thinking about them destroys us psychologically. That is why we do not talk about it at all after each mission.”

He urged for the need for psychological support for rescuers: “In the meantime, it would be much better if a specialist and counselor were with IRCS staff so that they would have the motivation to continue the mission. In the past few days, I have seen rescuers walk in their sleep, talk in their sleep, feel bad and upset.”

Despite all the hardships, Momeni and his team, with an exemplary spirit, encourage each other to be ready to serve the people. He proudly said “IRCS shines in these scenes in the truest sense.”

Perhaps the words of Reza Kianian, a film and TV actor who wrote to express his gratitude to the rescuers: “Heroes are not like Superman, sometimes they are like IRCS rescue workers who did not go home for several days...” speak well of the bravery, sacrifice and dedication of these heroes of Iran.