GSSARDA was called to participate in a search for a missing drowning victim along with incident command and searchers from Nova Scotia near North Bay in Canada. GSSARDA provided two support persons and one dog and handler. The search was financed by an orthodox rabbinical group. Tom, Jim, Sherri and Lektor responded.
The search took place in September. The team was pampered as there were hotel rooms with running water and electricity to return to each night. The subject and his father had drowned while swimming and it was known to be a recovery search.
The first day was spent searching the water with certified dogs. The water was very choppy. The dog did give a location. however when the divers descended the wind picked up blowing the boat around. The bottom of the lake was sandy and the anchor line did not have good purchase. The movement of the boat dragged the divers about until the search had to be called for safety reasons. Sherri, Lektor and Tom searcher the shoreline near the point the water search was occurring.
On the second day there was no longer any indication from the dog as to a submerged victim. The prevailing wind was blowing toward a rocky and dangerous south shore. There were 22 miles of shoreline to search and only three access points.
A psychic indicated the subject would be found in a cranberry bog. While this seemed unlikely, the financiers wanted the bog searched before the south shore. Sherri and Lektor, with Doug as support spent the day searching the bog and the north shoreline.
On the third day Tom’s employer demanded he return home immediately as he had not given two weeks notice of the time off for the search. Tom returned home but was still terminated from his position. Jim arrived and took over operational command. Doug, his dog Maddy, and Sherri as support were dropped roughly the midpoint of the south shore and were to search east about 11 miles to the second safe access point.
On the fourth day Sherri and Lektor, with Jim as support were again dropped off at the midpoint of the south shore. This time they searched to the west again for another 11 miles to the third safe takeout point.
No evidence was found that fall. In the spring the body did surface and wash up on the shoreline.
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