Police K9 tracks missing, endangered man through the frozen forest

Residents in northern Michigan became anxious after witnessing a man stroll into the woods and never return. Not only had the sun set, but the temperature had plummeted to a bone-chilling eleven degrees (-11°C).

Could he even make it through the night? Bystanders grasped the critical nature of calling the police, and when they did, the on-duty policemen were even more anxious.

Local authorities claimed they knew the hiker’s identify and that he was cognitively handicapped. As a result, they wasted no time in contacting the Roscommon County Sheriffs, who immediately deployed Deputy Dakota Darsow and his K9 partner, Ghost, to the location.

“The things that the dog can do would take five officers hours-upon-hours to do,” said Dakota Darsow, Ghost’s Handler.

It’s a beautiful German Shepherd, Ghost, who has been trained to find and rescue people. In the past, he’s been known to be successful in finding those who have gone missing. A search and rescue team would benefit greatly from his professional police training as well as his keen sense of smell and hearing. On top of that, this was a rescue operation in frigid temperatures. You can see Ghost’s fondness for snow in the shot below!

Ghost and his partner pursued the missing man for half a mile through dense, dark woods. However, neither the severe weather nor the dense forest canopy were going to impede K9 Ghost. He was hot on his heels. Finally, the pair located and led the missing man out of the pitch-black, bone-chilling woodland.

Fortunately, witnesses observed the man immediately and immediately recognized the importance of contacting local authorities. If no one saw, or if local police were hesitant to contact the Roscommon County Sheriff’s Office, the consequences may have been even worse.

“Excellent job by the Gerrish Township Police in recognizing the urgency of the situation, and another great job by Ghost,” said the sheriff’s department.

When questioned about what had happened, the missing hiker revealed that he had come to town on a visit from Pennsylvania. He claimed he went for a walk in the woods and got lost. When he was found, he was taken to a nearby hospital where he was treated for exposure.

For being such a nice pup, K9 Ghost deserves a lot of additional treats!