Rookie search and rescue dog finds missing elderly Kelowna man in minutes

Chase the search and rescue dog found his first missing person in Kelowna this morning.

Around 2 a.m. today, April 15, Central Okanagan Search and Rescue crews were called to locate an 86-year-old Kelowna General Hospital patient who had walked away shortly after surgery, according to a media release.

Chase started with search and rescue just two weeks ago and within minutes of his deployment to the scene, he found the man around Abbott Street in a pile of leaves with severe hypothermia.

Crew members both on foot and on E-bikes had searched the area until 8 a.m. when they found the missing person's backpack. That's when Chase was brought to the scene.

The two-and-a-half-year-old Labrador retriever has trained over 2,000 hours with his handler, Terry Downs.

"Research has shown that search and rescue dogs are the equivalent to 20 ground personnel," search manager Kevin Birnie said in the release. "He proved his worth today."

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