Full report on our DVSD Dog Handlers recent search incident in Enniskillen, County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland

Further to the interim report dated Saturday 7th February 2015, on our website, regards Incident 26, when our DVSD Dog Handler Dave Marsh and his specialist DVSD Dog Sasha journeyed over to Northern Ireland, to assist the Police Service of Northern Ireland in a long running search enquiry, below is a fully detailed report by Dave Marsh of what happened;

Bolton MRT team member and Drowned Victims Search Dog handler Dave Marsh was asked to assist in the search for a missing man in Enniskillen, Northern Ireland.

The man had been missing for some 8 weeks with the possibility he had been swept away in flood waters near the town centre.

With Mike and Quincy [the only other DVSD Dog and handler from England qualified to take on this type of water search], Dave and Sasha  made their way across to Dublin, on Saturday 7th February, after departing Bolton – in Dave’s case at 10.00hrs.

Onwards to Enniskillen arriving at 20-00 hrs on Saturday, with their base for the night at Sharevillage Ltd where they met up with Neil and DVS Dog Fern and John and Rodney [who were to act as the coxswains during the search]. All mentioned are members of National Search and Rescue Dog Association Ireland North

The venue is a registered  outdoor activities centre for disabled children.

Sunday morning’s breakfast was provided by the centres manager [Robert and his wife], followed by a briefing on the areas to be searched.

If anybody knows the waterways in and around Enniskillen, they will be aware of the vast amounts of water surface there are, stretching some 30 kms in length by an average of 1km wide. Added to this are the interchangeable directions of both current and wind which results in a nightmare scenario for searching purposes.

Initially, two dogs were allocated to the boats [Quincy and Fern] with Sasha tasked to search a stretch of banking.

At one specific spot, Sasha indicated. By coincidence the rigid inflatable carrying Fern was working the main current opposite and she indicated in the same area.

This was followed up by utilising the third dog on the search [Quincy, who travelled from his own designated search area with handler Mike] to carry out a configured search pattern covering the area where the other two dogs had indicated.

Sure enough, Quincy also indicated leaving all three handlers to interpret the results and to give any follow up suggestions to search control.

Once the designated areas had been successfully completed, a de-briefing followed.

It was decided to carry out a sonar scan of the area to see if it could add anything to the results.

Neil and his dog are due to travel back on Friday or Saturday to assist in any further searches.

To date, these results are still awaited and the search is on going.

Dave would like to thank Irish Ferries for their support in transporting them across to Ireland and back at a much reduced rate, Share Discovery Village for the accommodation and catering and the very kind people of Enniskillen who contributed most kindly in supporting us whilst over there – in food, fuel costs and most importantly thanking us for supporting them.

Dave and Sasha arrived back home in Bolton at 02.30hrs in the early hours of Monday 9th February 2015.