BSAR Chief Doug Dawson with K9 Hunter

With a mission to reunite the lost with their families, Brunswick Search & Rescue provides their specialized services at the request of law enforcement, emergency management, and state and federal agencies. Their Chief, Captain Doug Dawson USCGR (ret), tells us more:

We started out in 1999 doing primarily K9 searches, and now our team consists of ground searchers, licensed air and water drone operators, and K9 teams certified in wilderness air scent, human remains detection on land and water, and trailing. We’re an all-volunteer organization and have been on more than 400 searches all over the state, a lot of them involving lost kids and those with dementia.

We start training the dogs when they’re young, by making a game out of searching for people, with big praise and reward. They love the work and are always eager to go.  A few years ago, an autistic child became lost in Robeson County.  The sheriff’s department used their bloodhound, and he followed the trail to a swamp, then lost the trail. They called us that night and we came as quickly as we could. Knowing that those with autism are drawn to water, the incident commander gave us a 60-acre area to search that included the swamp and nearby lake. Thirty minutes after we hit the ground, K9 Charlie with handler Deputy Chief Les Tubb found him on the back side of the swamp, and 15 minutes later he was in an ambulance and doing well.

Recently, a woman in Warsaw with dementia went missing. We joined a few other groups that had been searching. Within 10 minutes Les Tubb and his team located the woman in a ditch covered with thick brush close to her home. The ability to spot her in such conditions can be attributed to extensive training and experience.  She was dehydrated and weak but otherwise well. When we came out with her, her family had lined the road. They were crying, we were crying…that’s about as rewarding as it gets.

Deputy Chief Les Tubb and K9 Charlie

We take success as a team win because it’s all about team effort. There are 25 of us, and we train together for several hours three to four times a month, and of course many hours individually with our dogs. We’re all passionate about it. None of us are paid, and we never charge for our services.

We also present free Hug-A-Tree programs, teaching kids what to do and not do if they get lost in the woods, through schools, camps, and parks departments. It’s a national program but we add the dogs and make it a lot of fun for the kids while they learn.

Everything we do is thanks to our volunteers, and donors, like Brunswick Electric. Here’s a request: with development in Brunswick County our training areas are becoming more limited. If people have land that they can let us use one or two days per quarter for training that would be very helpful. New terrain is good for the dogs, as well as the handlers and our drone operators. About 40 acres would be ideal, but 20 would be great. We love what we do, and using your land could make us even better at it.”