A missing mother and baby were found on the edge of a deep ravine after spending the night outdoors in the elements, thanks to a police dog who was on his first official shift.
Newly licensed Dyfed-Powys Police dog ‘Max’, and his handler PC Peter Lloyd, were essential in tracking down the woman who had spent a night in a remote location in Powys with her young child.
Two-year-old German Shepherd cross ‘Max’ swiftly put his extensive training into action during his first operational shift, covering a considerable distance to find the vulnerable mother and child.
PD ‘Max’ and his handler were called just before midday on Saturday, 1st August, when Dyfed-Powys Police received a call reporting that the mum and one-year-old baby were missing.
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 enquiries 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.”
With support from Brecon Mountain Rescue Team and an NPAS helicopter, along with advice from a search expert, additional units were deployed to the area to assist in the search which included a small reservoir and extensive woodland.
PD Max and PC Lloyd covered a large distance, and at around 1.30 pm, guided by PD ‘Max’, the officer spotted the missing woman waving for help near a steep ravine on the mountainside.
She was helped down, and arrangements were made for her and her baby to be checked over by a Mountain Rescue doctor and the ambulance service.
Insp Rees-Jones said:
“Extensive searches of the area were undertaken by officers, supported by specialist assets such as the dog unit and the NPAs helicopter, with advice from a police search adviser.
“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.
“This was a fantastic coordinated 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, eventually locating them safe.”
PC Lloyd joined the Dyfed-Powys Police dog section in February and was on his first operational shift with Max when the woman was reported missing.
Max is a general-purpose police dog, who will primarily be used for tracking and locating people in buildings and open-air, tracing discarded property and tracking and detaining suspects.
Max’s handler, 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 focussed throughout the long search and he proved invaluable when he reacted to the call for help which resulted in us locating them.”
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Image credit: Dyfed-Powys Police
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