Editors note: the following was submitted by Brown County Sheriff John Merchant
The Brown County Mounted Search and Rescue had a mock drill April 23rd at the Brown State Lake at 9 a.m.
The group went through two different scenarios where they were trying to locate a 5 year old child with hearing impairment (played by Andrew Clary) who had wandered off and could not be located. NIXLE messaging was used to notify the group and they met at a staging area where instructions and information was provided to the riders by the Sheriff. They set out in teams of at least 2 riders per team and started the search. On both exercises, the child victim was found in less that 25 minutes.
The group was established approximately 2 years ago with the focus on locating children who are lost, elderly people with Alzheimer's, disoriented victims, etc. They are mainly used in non-violent situations as all members of the group are volunteers who are dedicated to helping out those in need.
A local boy scout troop was at the lake on a camp out and they were able to observe and ask questions of the riders. The Sheriffs office POLARIS UTV was also utilized in the search. This utility vehicle is also available for support when needed and was obtained by a smokeless tobacco grant. Very limited tax dollars are spent on this project as they are mainly funded through generous community support and out of the members own pocket for the sake of helping others.
Members of the Mounted Search and Rescue have to certify their horses through a series of training exercises that ensure the horse and rider are able to effectively work together as a team which increases the success in locating missing people. Members of the group have also been certified in First Aid, CPR, and AED through the Sheriffs Office. This is a valuableasset to Brown County and they are willing to assist surrounding areas if the need arises.
I appreciate all of the hard work and dedication this group has provided to be able to render aid to those in need. By providing these types of programs this makes our county a much safer place to live and raise a family.
