A police service dog officer and his canine partner saved an elderly Abbotsford man after he suffered an unexpected medical emergency while working alone in a farm field on New Year’s Eve.
Members of the Abbotsford Police and the Lower Mainland District Integrated Police Dog Service (LMD IPDS) were called at about 4:30 p.m. on Dec. 31 to the 3800 block of McDermott Road for a report of a missing elderly man.
Police were told the man had last been seen around 11:30 a.m. working in a field on the large rural farm property.
RCMP spokesperson Cpl. Janelle Shoihet said the man was not dressed to be outside for an extended time, and they were concerned that he may be in medical distress.
Police dog Jax was deployed and, within three minutes, he led officers to the middle of a field, where the missing man was found unresponsive and suffering signs of hypothermia. He had been in the field for more than three hours.
The man was treated on scene and transported to hospital, where he received further medical care. He was later released and is now safely at home recovering with family.
“The quick actions of the officer and the determination shown by his partner, PSD (police service dog) Jax, likely saved this individual’s life. Without the work of PSD Jax, this file may have had a much different outcome,” said Cpl. Aaron Courtney of the LMD IPDS.