He was “pulling through the woods like a freight train.”
That’s how RCMP dog handler Corporal Jason Muzzerall describes his dog Jerry, tracking the scent of a man through deep snow in Happy Valley-Goose Bay.
Jerry and Muzzerall found the man half-buried in snow and unresponsive after he ran into the woods while suffering a mental health crisis.
The corporal says the man, who was not dressed for the conditions, had already been out in the elements for over an hour late at night so time was of the essence.
He says the dog took him through waste-deep snow, heavy brush and darkness to help save the man.
First responders got him out of the snow and onto a sled and pulled him through the wooded area to the nearest road where an ambulance was waiting.
Muzzerall says while it’s difficult and dangerous work, it’s gratifying to know they could help a person in distress.
He calls it a real morale booster for all involved.
Earlier Story
A person is recovering in hospital after recently being located in the snow by RCMP police dog Jerry.
RCMP Dog Services were called in to help find an individual reported missing in Happy Valley-Goose Bay. Weather conditions were bad at the time.
Corporal Jason Muzzerall and Police Service Dog Jerry were called in to assist in the search and tracked their way through deep snow to find the person partially buried in snow and unresponsive.
RCMP say the person might not have survived had it not been for the response of Muzzerall and Jerry.
Shout out to Police Service Dog Jerry & handler Cpl. Muzzerall for locating an individual experiencing a mental health crisis. The pair tracked in deep snow to find the person unresponsive & partially buried in snow. The individual received urgent medical care & is recovering. pic.twitter.com/R7s19XNjcX
— RCMP Newfoundland and Labrador (@RCMPNL) January 20, 2021
