Rescuers Lured a Trapped Dog In to Be Rescued with a Sausage on a Rope
The past few days have been challenging for these UK rescuers after Millie, a Jack Russell-whippet mix, became stuck in a mudbank. The police, firefighters, and coastguards were worried for the dog's life as the tide began to rise.
They tried various methods to get the dog out of the mud, but they were unsuccessful. As a last resort, they came up with the idea of attaching a sausage to a drone, thinking that Millie would be tempted by the scent of the meat and eventually follow it.
Chris Taylor, chair of the Denmead Drone Search and Rescue team, told the Guardian that they had never attempted this before until one of their drone pilots suggested tying food to their drones and flying it to where Millie was. They then checked the Civil Aviation Authority regulations and calculated the MTOW, or maximum takeoff weight, of their machines to determine how much sausage they could attach to each drone.
"It was something we had never tried before — the sausages were the last resort, as we couldn't reach her by kayak or any other means," Taylor said. "If we hadn't gotten her away from that area, the tide would have come in, and she would have been at risk of drowning," he added.
Actual photo of Millie in the middle of the mudbank.
Millie escaped from her leash and went missing on January 13 in Havant, Hampshire. A few hours later, the three-year-old dog was reported to have been seen in an area of mudflats.
Denmead Drone Search & Rescue, a local volunteer organization, coordinated with the coastguards to search for Millie, who was 100 meters away from the coastline. Eventually, they lost track of her and returned the next day.
Grateful smile from Millie.
The team returned with firefighters and police officers, but they still failed to get her closer to safer ground and decided to try other means the following day. However, on the third day, kayakers were unable to get closer to Millie as the tide was rising, and this is when the idea emerged.
Rescuers returning after their attempt to rescue Millie.
The drone and the magic sausage.
The sausage-carrying drones on their way to save Millie.
Denmead Drone Search & Rescue commented on how they used the drone and sausage to get Millie out in their Facebook post. People found it unbelievable, but they commended the team's efforts.
"Yes, that really is a flying sausage; you're not seeing things. We used the sausage to lure Millie over to the other side of the marshlands."
Rescuers anticipating how things would turn out.
"Surprisingly, it worked extremely well. Though we did have a hair-raising moment when she caught the sausage and subsequently the drone," the team added.
Update from the rescuers about Millie's situation.
Yet, after they rescued Millie from the marshlands, she managed to escape again. Luckily, she didn't return to the same place but headed toward the industrial area, where she was finally reunited with her owner, Emma Oakes.
The actual footage of how Millie followed the sausage to safety.
Good news from Millie's rescuers.
You can read the whole adventure of Millie on her rescuer's Facebook post. Moreover, they included information on what the public should do whenever they spot a lost dog to prevent the situation from worsening.
Everyone was finally relieved to know Millie was safe and home, especially her owner, Emma. Emma mentioned how Millie loves food, particularly meat, and that she's a rescue dog, which explains her timid personality.
"She loves being at home more than anything, and now that she's back, all she's doing is sleeping. She just sleeps, eats, and looks at you as if to say: 'I'm resting, leave me alone,'" Emma said.
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