Police in the Eastern Cape have recently paid tribute to their unsung heroes: the men, women and four-legged police officers of the SAPS K9 Search and Rescue Unit.
Police spokesperson, Col. Priscilla Naidu, said that the roles and functions of police officers are multi-faceted and each department or unit within the SAPS has its own unique operational demands. “Regrettably, some police units, including our K9 colleagues, are the unsung heroes in many facets. The duties of the SAPS K9 Search and Rescue unit are both proactive and reactive and we take our hats off to them who very rarely share the limelight of their success stories as compared to their frontline colleagues,” Naidu said.
“Today, we acknowledge the many unsung heroes and heroines in blue who never hesitate to put their lives on the line on a daily basis,” she added.
The Eastern Cape K9 Search and Rescue Unit comprises of a total of seven trained members and five fully trained and skilled canines. Special mention was made of the Nelson Mandela Bay policing area’s very experienced and skillful member, w/o Ettienne Gerber and his dog, Misty.
According to Naidu, this duo displays true altruism every day as their tasks mainly entail the search for missing people (dead or alive) retrieval of bodies from shallow graves, drownings and suicide victims. Misty is also used in evidence searches by detective officers. She explained that in Nelson Mandela Bay, Gerber and Misty have come close to meeting their Maker many times whilst ensuring the safety of a drowning victim or facing the dangers of retrieving drowning victims from treacherous waters. Sometimes they also have to bring to the surface a suicide victim from the depths of the Van Staden’s or Stormsriver Bridges.
“In the midst of these precarious situations, there is a story that brings hope and closure to many families. Daily, members of this unit, including the SAPS Diving Unit who work hand in hand with the search and rescue teams, walk the extra mile in carrying out their duties,” she said. Members in this unit, Misty too, are highly trained in the use of ropes and abseiling, swift and flood water rescuing and body recoveries from fast flowing rapids. She explained that the expertise, skill and precision of the work of the K9 Search and Rescue and SAPS Diving Unit, under Capt. Ashley Adams, were tested when the team recently had to abseil down a 120m abyss to retrieve a body under the Stormsriver Bridge.
The dangerous recovery mission started when their services were needed at the bridge after a 69-year-old man from Jeffrey’s Bay committed suicide by jumping off the second highest bridge in the Eastern Cape. Inclement weather halted any efforts of a successful recovery on the first day and the next day the team congregated at the bridge to resume the recovery of the body from below.
“Due to the raging waters below, the only way down was to abseil from the bridge. SAPS divers and K9 Search and Rescue belayed from the 120m bridge and transitioned into swift, icy water. “The body was recovered about two kilometers downstream, however, due to the torrential rain and poor communication, it could only be retrieved the day after.” For a third consecutive day, the team once again descended into the waning waters from a steep precipice. The recovery mission lasted five and a half hours.
“The combined team effort of the K9 Search and Rescue unit, SAPS divers, Humansdorp Emergency Services and SANParks, ensured a well organised and safe recovery for the search teams below the gorge,” Naidu said. She added that this was not the only successful recovery carried out by Gerber and Misty. In September 2020, Misty rescued a one-year-old missing child in the orange groves in Hankey. In April 2021, Misty recovered the body of a man buried in a shallow grave in KwaNobuhle. However, in the recent incident, only Gerber was involved. “Our K9 Search and Rescue Units most certainly epitomise the daily hard work and dedication of the members across the country. These members are also our frontline heroes and we salute them for their selflessness and bravery.”
Source: SAPS media statement
