First-shift police dog finds missing mum and baby
A MISSING mother and baby who had spent the night outdoors were found on the edge of a ravine by a police dog on his first shift.
Newly licensed police dog Max and his handler, Pc Peter Lloyd, of Dyfed-Powys Police, helped to track down the woman and her one-year-old child in a remote location in Powys.
Max, a two-year-old German Shepherd-cross, was called into duty at just before noon on August 1, when the force received a call reporting the pair missing.
The police dog covered a significant distance to find the mother and child, eventually locating them near a steep ravine at 1.30pm.
Inspector Jonathan Rees-Jones said: “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.
“Response officers, neighbourhood policing teams and specialist search officers were dispatched to her home, and inquiries were carried out to try and trace her steps.
“Thanks to excellent work between teams, the woman’s car was quickly found on a mountain road.
“Although this gave officers a location to search from, there was still a vast area to cover given the amount of time she 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.”
Officers, along with Brecon Mountain Rescue team and an NPAS helicopter, were deployed to assist in searching the area, which included a small reservoir and woodland.
At about 1.30pm, Pc Lloyd, guided by Max, spotted the missing woman waving for help near a steep ravine on the mountainside.
The woman was helped down before she and her baby were checked over by a Mountain Rescue doctor and the ambulance service.
“They were safe, but cold, and appeared to have been in the area for a significant amount of time,” Inspector Rees-Jones said.
“This was a fantastic co-ordinated and determined team effort from everyone involved, which no doubt ensured the safety of the mum and baby, who were at significant risk of harm.
“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.”
Pc Lloyd joined the DyfedPowys Police dog section in February and was on his first operational shift with Max when the missing persons report came in.
Max is a general-purpose dog and will primarily be used for tracking and locating people in buildings and open air, tracing property 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.”