I'm Getting Too Old For This....

On Saturday night the call came in about 9:30pm. I was in the middle of mixing 30 bowls of chow for some very hungry Schips (and one very vocal red Spitz!). I grumbled my way to the phone through Fox and Magic's protests. But it all changed in minutes as I understood the call.

The next few minutes were a blur as I shuffled dogs, ran in the black tide and left Ray to dish up the goodies. I spent the next 30 minutes on the phone getting details, finding who was still at home and who could go...(and rubbing Ben Gay into aching muscles). I had rebuilt the rear window deck for the Schips for the past 3 hours and I was thinking how old I was getting.

The facts came slowly...there were only two of us able to go in the morning. The others would be there as soon as they could get free. A 26 year old male was swimming and had gone under to not resurface. They needed two dogs to locate the victim.

At 4:30am I groaned my way out of bed to let all the dogs out, straighten beds, put in the fresh water and biscuits for the returning hordes as the day got hot. It was normal morning work. Then a quick shower and load the Escape with all the needed SAR equipment. Fox and Magic watched closely to see who was the chosen Schip. Both leaped to the door as I picked up the collars. And raced to the gate for loading.

Marty was walking Dare and I am sure the neighbors loved the morning serenade that greeted Dare as he picked his way along the fence. Tuli was VERY verbal about a new dog in his yard.

The drive to the north was empty roads and cool morning mists. It was so pretty to watch the sunrise through the lifting fog. Four inches of rain the morning before gave the early day a clean scrubbed look. I thought about the death and enjoyed my gift of a visually beautiful day. The ride went far faster then we could have hoped.

At 8:30am we checked in and the escort lead us to the staging area. No one waited except the boat and sheriff. I walked forward to the edge and looked at the bank he expected us, as well as the dogs, to climb down...STRAIGHT down...I WAS getting far to old. *~sigh~*

And I also found they had no shoreline base camp, so Fox, as well as Magic, had to travel on the boat. I wouldn't leave either behind in the soon to be 100 degree heat. So I got Fox out and he "walked the plank". They put out a long 12 foot plank about 6 inches wide and he ran it like a broad highway!

Next came Magic and as I climbed down beside him, he carefully tried to go the distance. I know for once his eye loss was showing. But he did it, and I finally picked him off and placed him in the bottom of the boat so I could get aboard as well.

Marty came next. Then the cop bodily picked up Dare and placed him into the boat. I was so surprised he offered no resistance at all. He seem to know it was the only way down that cliff face.

They set off the 1/2 mile up river to the search area. I watched them as soon as they set off start looking for the scent. It didn't take them long to get hanging over the edge of the boat. I knew the missing man was close by the search area by the time we pulled into the bank.

The Divers were already working and they wanted us to wait. I explained we needed to work the dogs first as they would soon get hot and the scent would be harder to locate. We needed the rising air to locate and pinpoint the victim.

Marty crossed over to the next boat and we pulled out to start searching. I lay across the deck of the boat with a Schip on either side of me. It was the second time I had ever worked both at one time. It was hard to keep Fox's quiet focus and Magic's restless style in the same spot. Fox was standing quietly with eyes on the water to his left. Magic paced and darted back and forth for the first taste of human scent. It came suddenly as both went into indication mode. Fox lay and grumbled, Magic hit the side and bark bark bark was ringing fast. And not a treat in my pocket to reward them with...left in our rush at the truck.

I continued the grid, moving as I could, Marty's boat right behind me to my right. Dare too pawed and hung over the side. I knew we had to keep looking. The sheriff had to check in with his other boat and divers, so he pulled me off the gird and back to the bank. Both dogs waited. Then back to work and into the current, up and back...I watched each, but really was hanging on to Magic. He is the one I have to keep IN the boat.

As we crossed into the strong currents, Fox went over the front edge!!! I screamed "kill the motor!! Dog overboard!" as I didn't see him anywhere. He was UNDER the boat! As fast as a flash, my heart stood still seeking the black head. I was almost ready to jump over the side with fear. But the black head bobbed up and to my right...swimming in the fast current, using it to direct him into the bank.

As soon as I screamed his name, he went into the eddies and back into the current and back to my side of the boat...now drifting with the water as we rode without the motor. He took it all in stride, only slightly put out at being wet..*~sigh~*

I wrapped him in the towel, dried his face and placed him in a down stay and went back to work. I had to find the exact spot he had hit as I knew that was where the body was on the bottom. Magic was going to have to do it alone now as I was too upset to put Fox back on the deck.

Back and forth till I had it pinpointed. Then back to the shore to relax, check Fox and let the divers go back to work.

One hour, then another crept by. I waited, hot, tired and the dogs slept. The water rushed and sang its lullaby and the minutes marched by...then I saw the diver come up and I asked to recheck the current with Magic. I started up the river and got NOTHING! He was no longer interested in the current...so I came back in and did the next bank...some interest and one touch on the side of the boat, but NOT what I would call a hot lead...the boat came back in to let the diver research the grid. It was now well into the high 90's and the dogs were indeed hot in the sun.

So I sat and I waited. I might have to let it get cooler before we could make the next run. I talked, let them out on the small beach. Magic got into the water and got cooler. I sat some more.

Then all heck broke loose as the diver signaled he had him! Only 20 feet from where we had the BARK! Deep in the current pool as it dumped into the bend, and about 40 feet from where we sat waiting! I think we had a floater and he was just beginning his trip into the main river current. The dogs had been close. I had never passed over that exact spot as we ended to let the divers back into the water. Remember, Magic only hits directly on the rising scent.

And this time we had a bonus. The dogs got to witness the recovery. They were there to smell and scent off the victim as we hauled him from the water into the boats. I felt such a sense of loss for this handsome young man's wasted life as I watched his peaceful face. Drink and water will NEVER mix, yet every 4th we seem to have a repeat performance.

With the search done, we climbed the bank and walked through the green, wooded forest. Quiet, serene, it waited to welcome us. Peace came back to me. Cool from the heat of day, quiet with bird calls soft in the distance. The dogs bounced ahead, charging into the fields and the awaiting red rescue trucks and the ride back to the house where our cars were parked.

Another search over. A beginning and an end. The family had him home. The goodbyes could be said now. Fox was quiet, but peaceful and not at all upset at his dunking. Magic was his normal self, running, playing, investigating all before him. And I walked slowly, thoughtful and deep in emotions.

Death comes to all. Some doing what we love, others taken so quickly...here and gone with no chance to start again. Had I reached the end? Did I still have the needed courage to keep placing Fox at risk for the human side of stupid? I sighed and climbed with old tired muscles into the truck and with a dog on each side of me, I knew that if the call came again, the decision would always be the same. Yes. I'll be there as soon as I can load the dogs and find another support SAR member.....we ALL had a job to do and we all do it well.

But you know Fox got extra hugs and plenty of love last night.....and of course Magic had to have his, too...he had proved once again, eye or no eye, he has that Magic Touch! <G>

July 4th, 2005

Pat Boggs Director of Training CASAR K-9's Little Rock, AR

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