Retired police dog on first walk since major surgery rescues missing man in East Sussex
A retired police dog who was recovering from major surgery has rescued a vulnerable man.
Bear, a German Shepherd, was being walked by his owner and former police officer Julia Pope when he located the missing man in the Eastbourne area of East Sussex.
The dog, who turned 12 on the day of the discovery, immediately “went into work mode” after sensing the lost individual and “started indicating towards an area of dense undergrowth,” Ms Pope said.
“[He] then dragged us to it, where he located and alerted us to a vulnerable man.
“The man was confused, wet, cold and had fallen over, and was unable to get up unaided. I’m not sure he would have survived the night as it was extremely cold and almost dark at that point with no one else in the vicinity,” Ms Pope added.
“Unbeknownst to us, the man was a vulnerable missing person who officers had been searching for without any success.”
Bear was on his first walk since having surgery. Pic: The Thin Blue Paw Foundation/PA
Ms Pope, who adopted Bear in 2020 after he retired, described the rescue as an “amazing stroke of luck”.
She said with Bear leading the way, they were able to assist the man back to an area where he could co-ordinate with police officers and be reunited with his family.
‘A true hero’
Since retiring from Sussex Police, Bear continues to work as a well-being and trauma support dog for police staff and is supported by the Thin Blue Paw Foundation, a charity that supports former police dogs.
Pic: The Thin Blue Paw Foundation/PA
He was supported by the charity last summer after he lost the use of his rear legs and needed an emergency MRI and surgery to treat four herniated discs in his spine, thought to have been caused by his years of strenuous work.
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Two weeks prior to locating the vulnerable man, he had further surgery to remove two benign tumours.
The walk was his first since the operation.
Thin Blue Paw trustee Kieran Stanbridge said: “RPD Bear is a true hero – his training and instinct kicked in and he managed to lead his owners, who are former police officers themselves, to this vulnerable man who needed urgent help.
“Thanks to Bear, the man received the help he needed from local officers; even in his retirement, he’s still saving lives.”
An amber warning has been issued for snow in a part of the UK, likely to cause travel delays and “stranding some vehicles and passengers”.
The warning, which covers south west England, also warns some rural communities could become cut off and is in place until 2pm this evening.
Pic: Met Office
There is also a yellow weather warning for snow covering the southern counties of England until midnight on Wednesday.
The warning stretches from Kent to Cornwall and up to south London and the Met Office said between 2cm and 5cm of snow could accumulate fairly widely, with as much as 10cm over higher ground.
This week is expected to see the coldest nights of the year, with temperatures potentially reaching -14C on Wednesday night and -16C on Thursday night, both in the North East of England and Scotland, the Met Office said.
Weather warnings issued on Tuesday for snow and ice covering the parts of Wales, the North West of England, west and northern parts of Scotland as well as Northern Ireland will remain in place until midnight tomorrow.
The forecaster said some roads and railways are likely to be affected and there could be icy patches on untreated roads.
Pics: AP
Meanwhile the Environment Agency has said at least 300 properties have flooded across England since New Year’s Eve. It estimates more than 41,000 properties have been protected.
Heavy rainfall over the New Year caused significant river and surface water flooding across the North West of England and Yorkshire and snowmelt has brought further disruption to parts of England, particularly the Midlands, the agency said.
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Man says flooding ‘came out of nowhere’
Floods minister Emma Hardy said: “My sympathies go out to the people, businesses and communities impacted by the recent flooding across the country.
“I want to express my heartfelt thanks for the vital work that the Environment Agency and emergency services are doing to keep people safe. People must continue to follow their advice and sign up for flood warnings.”
Flood warnings
Some 100 flood warnings were in force across England on Wednesday, with people urged to remain vigilant over the coming days.
A danger-to-life warning was issued on Tuesday morning for the River Soar near Barrow upon Soar, Leicestershire, but was later removed.
People living in caravan parks in the area were urged by the Environment Agency to act, with a large-scale evacuation needed to save lives.
Firefighters have rescued dozens of people across Leicestershire since Monday, Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service said.
Hundreds of schools were closed across the UK, with road and rail links blocked, as Manchester, Bristol and Liverpool John Lennon airports suspended flights because of the conditions.
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