Fire-fighters reunited with girl they saved in Haiti

Pete Stevenson (centre) with his team before flying out to Haiti to assist in the earthquake rescue operation.

A heroic fire-fighter who headed a team of rescuers sent to quake-hit Haiti has been given the best award of all — a surprise reunion with the little girl they saved.

Members of the nine-strong International Search and Rescue team scooped a special recognition award at the star-studded Pride of Britain awards at London’s Grosvenor House Hotel this week.

Amid the glitz and glamour, team leader Peter Stevenson, 49, based at Rochdale Fire Station, said the best moment of the night was the big smile from three-year-old Mia Charlet who they pulled alive from the rubble.

The father-of-one said: “We were very surprised but proud to be nominated. It was a very emotional ceremony, especially as the organisers had flown out Mia and her mother Marjorie without telling us. This was the first time we’d seen them since the rescue.

“It was a total surprise but we had a good chat through their interpreter. They told us they appreciated our efforts and Mia was absolutely fantastic.

“She remembered us, and kept saying ‘Pete, Pete!’

“Mia was our first rescue, so it lifted all the team and drove us on to do other things.”

Mr Stevenson headed the crews from Greater Manchester who flew out to Haiti in January following the 7.0-magnitude earthquake which left 200,000 dead and 250,000 injured.

Mr Stevenson said the team felt very humble among the other nominees at the ceremony, which was screened on ITV last night amid a myriad of stars.

Echo was rewarded with a kiss from “X-Factor” judge Cheryl Cole.

Mr Stevenson, a team member for 15 years, said: “Haiti was horrendous; it was the worst earthquake we’ve been to.

“There were thousands of bodies on the street being bulldozed out of the way and mass graves.

“It is difficult to prepare for disasters and hard to think about anything worse than Haiti but that is what we are trained to do.”