August 23, 2021 3.51 pm This story is over 31 months old

Volunteer search dogs help Lincolnshire Police save missing man

The man collapsed and was missing for three days
The volunteer team at Louth Search Dogs helped find and save a missing man who had collapsed near Boston. | Photo: Lincolnshire Police
By Local Democracy Reporter

An elderly man who went missing in the Boston area was found by a group of search dogs who helped police find him.

The man in his 70s, reported missing from the Boston area on August 8, had not been found for three days when he was spotted in a field near Pinfold Lane in Fishtoft where he had collapsed.

He was found after Lincolnshire Police called Louth Search Dogs to help with the tracking down of the vulnerable lost man.

On August 11 he was located by volunteer Paul Roberts and his trusty Border Collie Kai, before being taken to hospital where he is expected to make a full recovery.

Louth Search Dogs, found and formed by volunteers in 1997, are on call 24 hours a day for emergency service use as and when they are needed.

The team use their own pets which have been trained to air scent using the police search systems.

Paul Roberts, the volunteer who found the missing man with his dog Kai, said: “We were contacted about this incident and given a few areas to search. Three of us attended and I was so pleased when Kai and I located the missing man, alive.

“We have 12 volunteers who are always happy to assist, but we are always on the look-out for more volunteers.”

Sergeant Sarah McNair, leading the search operation, said: “As the days passed by, we became more and more concerned for our missing man. It was such a relief that he was located. He was taken to hospital and he is expected to make a full recovery.

“This was a joint agency approach and without the assistance of Louth Search and Rescue Dog Team the outcome may not have been good. The assistance provided by the search and rescue volunteers and their dogs is extremely valuable to us.”

Chief Superintendent Kieran English added: “Louth Search Dog volunteers often go overlooked but their assistance can make a difference between life and death. Credit has to be given to the volunteers for their speedy and dedicated actions which led to this man’s life being saved. We cannot thank them enough for the service they provide to us.”