Max, a newly-licensed police dog, hit the ground running when he located a woman and her one-year-old child during his very first shift!
Alongside his handler PC Peter Lloyd, Max used his tracking skills to find the mother and child on the edge of a ravine in Powys, Wales. The pair had spent the night at the mercy of the elements.
“The woman had not been seen or spoken to for two days, which was out of character, and her phone wasn’t working, so naturally concern for her safety was high,” Inspector Jonathan Rees-Jones said in a press release.
A Mother & Child At “Significant Risk Of Harm”
After failing to locate the woman at her home, police tracked her car to a remote mountain road. The team was glad to have a location to search, but were concerned given the vastness of the area and the amount of time the pair had been missing.
“This is where PD Max’s tracking skills really came into play. Despite only recently becoming licensed, and on his first operational shift, he immediately commenced an open area search.”
The Best Possible Outcome
After tracking a significant distance, PD Max and PC Lloyd located the missing woman. She was holding her baby and waving for help near a steep ravine on the mountainside. Mother and child were checked over by a Mountain Rescue doctor and found to be in good health.
“Thankfully, after an hour-and-a-half of searching, the mum and baby were found. They were safe, but cold, and appeared to have been in the area for a significant amount of time,” Inspector Rees-Jones said. “I must give a special mention to PC Pete Lloyd and Max, who on their very first day since completing their training together covered a significant amount of mileage in the search, eventually locating them safe.”
A Brand New Team
PC Lloyd joined the Dyfed-Powys Police dog section in February, and this rescue was his first operational shift with Max.
Max will primarily serve as a tracking dog, locating people in buildings and open air. He will also assist in tracing discarded property and tracking and detaining suspects.
PC Lloyd said:
“I was really pleased that during our first operational deployment as a dog team, myself and Max were able to safely locate the missing mother and baby. Max remained focused throughout the long search and he proved invaluable when he reacted to the call for help which resulted in us locating them.”
The people of Powys, Wales are very lucky to have this K9 team watching out for them!
H/T to USA Today
Featured Image via Twitter/Dyfed-Powys Police
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