Family members of a 67-year old woman are calling her rescue a miracle — and they have a four-legged member of the Nanaimo RCMP to thank.
Irene Paquet was reported missing to North Cowichan RCMP on July 30 by her family, who identified her as someone with “significant health issues.”
Worried about her condition, a missing persons investigation was launched immediately by police but even with extensive patrols and inquiries, they came up empty.
After four days of searching, Mounties said in a statement “hope was fading” until a motorcyclist reported finding the woman’s vehicle abandoned on a logging road in the Copper Canyon area, about 40 kilometres west of Chemainus.
Search and Rescue (SAR) crews from Duncan and Ladysmith were immediately sent to the area to begin an extensive ground search, which was stopped when darkness set it.
The next morning the search party had the additional help of the RCMP Air-8 helicopter and a police dog, Boomer, and his handler Cst. Clay Wurzinger.
Although Boomer did not find a scent or track near Paquet’s car, the pair along with the help of Air-8, started searching the maze of logging roads in the area. About five hours later Boomer detected a scent in the air and directed Cst. Wurzinger over an embankment to the missing woman.
According to police, Paquet was found at the base of the berm in “obvious discomfort and barely able to speak.” But she did manage to reach out, grab the officer’s hand and whisper ‘thank you, thank you’ over and over again.
SAR was then alerted to their location and arrived on foot within 15 minutes. Over the next two hours emergency first aid was administered and with Paquet strapped to a spinal board, was carried out to a waiting helicopter. She was then taken to a hospital in Nanaimo and is expected to make a full recovery.
Cst. Wurzinger is one of four dog handlers posted to Nanaimo RCMP Police Dog Services Section and has been with the section for five years.
Nanaimo RCMP Superintendent called the constable and Boomer’s perseverance in this search an “outstanding result” and that “outcomes like this make us all proud of the professionalism and high level of training that Clay and Boomer bring to work on a daily basis in Nanaimo.”
As for Boomer, he got a good rest and a chance to play with his favourite toy.
