Trailblazing: Blind Paralympian and her guide dog find missing woman on Vancouver Island
Global News
Scent trailing is a search and rescue method that relies on a dog's nose to find someone. It's a skill Jessica Tuomela hoped she and Lucy would never have to use.
Jessica Tuomela has crossed finish lines, won gold for Canada and travelled the world, but one of her most vivid memories will always be one close to home in Saanich, B.C.
The blind Paralympian, who relies on her guide dog Lucy, got an urgent text from a neighbour nearly two weeks ago stating that an aging family member who suffers from memory loss had gone out for a walk and not returned home. The friend asked Tuomela if she and her golden retriever could hit the trails.
Scent trailing is a search and rescue method that relies on a dog’s nose to find someone rather than visual cues observed by the handler, such as footprints. It’s a skill Tuomela and Lucy had worked on together, but hoped they would never have to use.
“It took us over three kilometres and just over 40 minutes,” Tuomela recalled. “It was incredible when I realized we were doing a rescue, not a recovery.”
The neighbours had purchased a special kit for storing for their relative’s scent. Lucky picked it up quickly and took off on a run, which Tuomela — an elite athlete — was able to keep up with.
She said a “wonderful” bystander tagged along for as long as possible, warning her of obstacles in their path. Eventually, she said Lucy led her onto the sand and into the water by Elk Lake, where she heard the missing person’s voice, speaking to the dog.
“Within seconds, my backup handler caught up and confirmed that this is who we were looking for. I just was really trying to remain calm … After she had been reunited with her family, I was definitely probably shaking for about 45 minutes. It was pretty incredible.”
Shortly afterward, in Tallahassee, Fla. a party took place.
