Volunteers on horseback, with rescue dogs search for victims of deadly Texas floods
Rescuers in inflatable motorboats also searched Monday for bodies near Camp Mystic, an all-girls summer camp, where 27 campers and counselors died after being swept away by floodwaters.
Another team collected the children's belongings from flooded cabins marked by mud lines exceeding five feet (1.5 meters) high.
About 30 volunteers on horseback, many wearing cowboy hats, joined mounted police from Austin to support rescue efforts in four towns along the Guadalupe River in Kerr County.
Michael Duncan, 55, rode Ranger, his dark brown horse, along the river, supporting rescue efforts that have deployed hundreds of searchers along several miles of the waterway.
'Obviously (on horseback)... we can gain more ground. We can get to some areas where people can't get to as easy,' Duncan told AFP.
The horses easily navigate the hilly terrain, undergrowth and debris left behind after the rain-swollen floodwaters receded.
Perched atop Ranger, Duncan said that the 'height advantage' allowed him to scan across the mounds of debris.
Volunteers on foot also scoured the area, detecting foul odours from undergrowth that could indicate decomposing animals or human remains.
They dug through earth piled near trees, using pointed sticks to probe mounds for any signs of bodies.
During their search, they found children's swimming goggles and a football.
'Emotional debt'
Tom Olson, a rescue dog trainer, deployed his eight-year-old Belgian Malinois, Abby, to assist the search.
Olson, 55, compared the dog's search abilities to a useful tool, 'just like underwater sonar boats, drone, aircraft.'
'The dog will be able to rapidly find a potential victim... lowering the risk to the people that are out here actually trying to do the search and rescue,' he told AFP.
Olson said the work to recover victims' bodies involved 'a mental debt' and 'emotional debt' but was necessary to bring 'closure to the families that lost (people), as well as closure for the rescuers.'
Electric company crews also worked to restore power poles and cables destroyed by the floods as the Guadalupe River receded to its normal course.
Duncan, the mounted volunteer, said the searches filled him with 'a lot of sadness' but added: 'It's also great to see how many people come out... and most everybody is doing this for free.
'That's pretty inspiring to see.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Arab News
9 hours ago
- Arab News
A pacing dog helps Swiss rescuers find a man who fell into a glacier
GENEVA: Rescuers on Tuesday hailed as a 'four-legged hero' a furry Chihuahua whose pacing atop an Alpine rock helped a helicopter crew find its owner, who had fallen into a crevasse on a Swiss glacier nearby. The man, who was not identified, was exploring the Fee Glacier in southern Switzerland on Friday when he broke through a snow bridge and fell nearly 8 meters (about 26 feet), according to AirZermatt, a rescue, training and transport company. Equipped with a walkie-talkie, the man connected with a person nearby who relayed the accident to emergency services. But the exact location was unknown. After about a half-hour search, the pacing pooch caught the eye of a rescue team member. As the crew zeroed on the Chihuahua, the hole the man fell into became more visible. Rescuers rappelled down, rescued the man and flew him and his canine companion to a hospital. 'Imagine if the dog wasn't there,' AirZermatt spokesman Bruno Kalbermatten said by phone. 'I have no idea what would happen to this guy. I think he wouldn't survive this fall into the crevasse.' On its website, the company was effusive: 'The dog is a four-legged hero who may have saved his master's life in a life-threatening situation.'
Al Arabiya
13 hours ago
- Al Arabiya
Volunteers on horseback, with rescue dogs search for victims of deadly Texas floods
Volunteers on horseback and others with rescue dogs are combing riverbanks alongside authorities in central Texas, searching for victims of catastrophic floods that have killed more than 100 people. Rescuers in inflatable motorboats also searched Monday for bodies near Camp Mystic, an all-girls summer camp, where 27 campers and counselors died after being swept away by floodwaters. Another team collected the children's belongings from flooded cabins marked by mud lines exceeding five feet (1.5 meters) high. About 30 volunteers on horseback, many wearing cowboy hats, joined mounted police from Austin to support rescue efforts in four towns along the Guadalupe River in Kerr County. Michael Duncan, 55, rode Ranger, his dark brown horse, along the river, supporting rescue efforts that have deployed hundreds of searchers along several miles of the waterway. 'Obviously (on horseback)... we can gain more ground. We can get to some areas where people can't get to as easy,' Duncan told AFP. The horses easily navigate the hilly terrain, undergrowth and debris left behind after the rain-swollen floodwaters receded. Perched atop Ranger, Duncan said that the 'height advantage' allowed him to scan across the mounds of debris. Volunteers on foot also scoured the area, detecting foul odours from undergrowth that could indicate decomposing animals or human remains. They dug through earth piled near trees, using pointed sticks to probe mounds for any signs of bodies. During their search, they found children's swimming goggles and a football. 'Emotional debt' Tom Olson, a rescue dog trainer, deployed his eight-year-old Belgian Malinois, Abby, to assist the search. Olson, 55, compared the dog's search abilities to a useful tool, 'just like underwater sonar boats, drone, aircraft.' 'The dog will be able to rapidly find a potential victim... lowering the risk to the people that are out here actually trying to do the search and rescue,' he told AFP. Olson said the work to recover victims' bodies involved 'a mental debt' and 'emotional debt' but was necessary to bring 'closure to the families that lost (people), as well as closure for the rescuers.' Electric company crews also worked to restore power poles and cables destroyed by the floods as the Guadalupe River receded to its normal course. Duncan, the mounted volunteer, said the searches filled him with 'a lot of sadness' but added: 'It's also great to see how many people come out... and most everybody is doing this for free. 'That's pretty inspiring to see.'
Al Arabiya
4 days ago
- Al Arabiya
A multistory building collapse in Pakistan's port city of Karachi kills at least six people
A multistory building collapsed Friday in Pakistan's southern port city of Karachi, killing at least six people and injuring several others, officials said. Rescuers were using heavy machinery to search for several survivors believed to be trapped under the debris, said Javed Nabi, a government administrator. Residents said the building was located on a narrow street, making it difficult for rescue teams to bring in additional heavy equipment. Television footage showed rescuers removing the rubble and evacuating nearby buildings as a precaution. Building collapses are common in Pakistan, where construction standards are often poorly enforced. Many structures are built with substandard materials, and safety regulations are frequently ignored to cut costs. In June 2020, an apartment building collapsed in Karachi, the capital of southern Sindh province, killing 22 people.
