Demet Ozdemir, Murat Boz Rescued by Boat in Istanbul Flood
The actress and the singer were stranded in studios in the Ayazaga district, and rescuers reached them by boat. Ozdemir kept her followers updated on Instagram through the night.
Turkish actress Demet Ozdemir and singer Murat Boz were stranded in flooded studios in Istanbul overnight and into this morning, October 15. Rescuers reached them by boat. Both posted about the ordeal on social media.
Heavy rain flooded the Ayazaga neighborhood in the Sariyer district. Water surrounded the building where Ozdemir was staying. Viewers know her, among other roles, from the series “Early Bird”. The rescue began after she called for help. Rescuers reached the building by boat, and the actress was then evacuated from the flooded area.
Who took part in the rescue of Demet Ozdemir?
According to Turkish media reports, the operation involved:
- the disaster management agency AFAD
- UMKE medical rescue teams
- firefighters
- the Coast Guard
- the rescue services SAK and AKUT
The crews reached the building by boat, and the evacuation itself was carried out the same way.
What did Ozdemir write on Instagram?
During the night, the actress told her followers that help was on the way. In her post she thanked the people on the ground, as well as everyone who had asked about their safety. She wrote:
The teams have started to arrive. Huge thanks to everyone working on the ground, led by the Coast Guard, the Search and Rescue Association and the Gendarmerie, and to everyone who contacted us throughout the evening and made us feel safe. The work continues, everyone is being evacuated in groups, and that will go on.
That message shows the evacuation did not happen all at once but in stages. In the same post, Ozdemir said she hoped no one would be hurt in the floods:
I hope all people and all living beings will be pulled out of this disaster without any consequences or injuries.
Murat Boz: water poured into the studio and the power went out
Murat Boz was recording in a studio in the same part of Sariyer. Water quickly flooded the rooms, and the electricity was cut. The singer and members of his team stayed inside the building.
Boz appealed on social media for the authorities to help urgently. He said the water level was rising and that a large number of people were in the studio. According to his appeal, he was trapped along with hundreds of staff, with the rooms underwater and no electricity.
He was later evacuated by boat and posted footage of the evacuation on his accounts. The images show how much the flood hampered movement in the neighborhood where the studio stands.
The storm caused flooding and water damage to buildings in several parts of Istanbul.
