Three Peaks Fundraiser

Pictured is Sara Littlefield whilst bodying for SARDA in the Peak Ditsrict. Sara is doing the Three Peaks Challenge to raise money for SARDA Wales - good luck Sara and many thanks!

Mountain Search Dog Find

This evening SARDA Wales Mountain Search Dog Cluanie and handler Helen found a group of walkers lost on Snowdon in thick cloud and above a steep drop.
Llanberis Mountain Rescue Team had received a call for assistance from a group of three walkers who had set off up Snowdon on the Watkin Path and got lost on the South side of Y Lliwedd in steep ground and thick cloud. Five team members were tasked to head to the approximate location of the party including SARDA Wales handler Helen and her dog Cluanie. Cluanie found the party stuck on a ledge above a steep drop and returned to Helen and the rest of the team to indicate her find. She then took the team into the grateful walkers who were brought safely off the mountain by the Llanberis Mountain Rescue Team.
It was pretty grim weather which meant that the helicopter was unable to fly, the missing walkers had been able to give an approximate location from their mobile phone and then Cluanie did the rest. The added speed of a Search Dog team meant that the walkers avoided hypothermia in some pretty foul conditions.

Rob Johnson
SARDA Wales Press Officer

A Trailing Dog Adventure

Trailing – An urban search.
Its dusk and we are outside the hotel the missing person has left from, the ‘point last seen’ yesterday evening. The ‘mis-per’ is not from the area, so the scent trail should be clean – no false trails to cause confusion.
I pack my rucksack giving the article I will use time to clone on to a sterile cloth, tucked up next to a hot water bottle to keep the bacteria warm and help them re-generate.
I give the dog the bag with the articles in, in the van and leave it with her for five minutes, so when I get her out, she is already working. A quick check of the group stood waiting for us and she ascertains she is not looking for them and starts hunting at the junction between the pavement and house wall, checking up and down the street.
The blue lights of the police cars blocking the ends of the roads reflect off the house windows and attract the attention of locals and passers-by.  I feel pressured but ignore the people watching and concentrate on what my dog is doing.
She is working steadily up the street to where the missing persons’ vehicle was parked, going into and out of the drive ways and lifting her head to check the foliage overhanging the garden walls. We pass the spot where the vehicle was, and continue up, nearly to the top of the street, where she turns, looks at me, grins and gives me a bark, her indication that she has found the trail. I clip her line on to her harness and off we go, left at the top but she hesitates, not sure, across the road to the other side. I am glad for the MR team members watching for traffic for me, in front and behind, but I keep the line short to be on the safe side. She checks the wall on the opposite side of the road and takes off right. I watch her working, picking up scent from any little bits of grass in drive ways, off the overhanging vegetation and even from the damp joint between walls and pavement and I marvel at how she does this, follow where someone has walked, twenty four hours ago.
We cross junction after junction, they become a blur and I am disorientated but I can see she is taking me steadily towards the location the missing person is thought to have gone. After half an hour the direction is clear and I stop her to give her a rest and a drink, amazed at my dog, who has just trailed someone through a town centre as easily as if it was a walk in the park.

Sue & Nellie June 2011

Fatal Incidents Course

Members of the team have been on a course with North Wales Police all weekend looking at dealing with fatal incidents in a Mountain Rescue context. The course was very useful and interesting and combined team members from several Rescue Teams with serving Police Officers, Coastguard, the Fire Brigade and the Coroners Office. We hope not to need the skills soon!

Helicopter Training at RAF Valley

SARDA Wales have spent this weekend at RAF Valley for our annual helicopter training. The weather yesterday was stunning and we spent the day getting the dogs used to the aircraft. First off winching harnesses were fitted and then the dogs were shown in and around a stationary Sea King with all of the engines and rotors switched off. Fun was had jumping in and out of the rear door and up and down the front steps! We then repeated the exercise with the engine on and then again with the rotors on. Next we progressed to winching the dog and handler whilst the aircraft was on the ground and repeated this with the aircraft in a hover. The dogs and handlers and SARDA bodies were all then given a flight out across the bay where Skye was happy to fall asleep as I enjoyed the views.

This morning we searched a couple of small areas with several bodies in unknown locations and Skye enjoyed herself, back in her element after yesterdays excitement! Many thanks to all involved in organising the weekend, especially Biffa and Kev who worked hard to make the weekend a brilliant success.

Succesful Call Out

SARDA Wales were called out today by North Wales Police to search for an 80 year old man who had been missing from home in the Bangor area since yesterday evening. SARDA Wales coordinated the search which involved two SARDA Wales dogs, a Police dog and the Police helicopter. The man was successfully found at around lunch time today safe and well but cold and was taken to hospital.

Gareth & Max were out searching this morning

This was the 6th call-out we have had via North Wales Police in the last 10 days.

Tuesday Night Training at Llandudno

Last nights Tuesday night training was held on the Orme at Llandudno. We had a very pleasant evening with stunning views across to Anglesey and along the North Wales Coast line. We had three dogs out to play and three bodies for them to go and find. Once each dog had searched the open area that had been set up for the night we had a play hiding bodies in some old artillery shelters underground to give the dogs a bit of problem solving. It was great watching them work out what was happening to the scent which was rising from ventilation holes and then still find the doorway and sunken steps to locate the body. A lovely evenings training and a big thanks to bodies Sara, Shelley and Ollie and to Gareth for arranging the evening.

Rob Johnson