Search Dog Helps Police Find Deaf Hikers

yizuman · 07-31-2009, 06:04 PM

3 Hikers Disappeared Wednesday At Black Creek Swamp

POSTED: Thursday, July 30, 2009

MIDDLEBURG, Fla. -- Clay County deputies said Thursday if it weren't for their search dog's nose, they might not have found three missing hikers when they did.

Two women and one man disappeared hiking on trails at the Black Creek Swamp on Wednesday.

Two of them are deaf, and another is hearing impaired.

Deputies said their search dog helped track them down in just a matter of hours.

K-9 Santo and Sgt. Mike Seymour were called on to find the hikers.

"They had went on a day adventure, got turned around and got lost back in that area," Seymour said. "It's very thick, very wooded, very nasty. I didn't see a snake, didn't see an alligator, but was definitely looking for it."

As if the conditions in the woods weren't bad enough with the heat and afternoon storms, two of the hikers lost their shoes and wound up walking barefoot.

Video

Seymour said Santo picked up the hiker's scent because the humidity and the temperature caused the hikers' scent to lay on the ground, allowing the K-9 to track them quite easily.

The hikers were exhausted and dehydrated.

It took the group almost two hours to make their way out of the woods.

rockin'robin · 07-31-2009, 06:24 PM

This town is about 15-20 miles from me (a little "hole in the wall" place). Very countryfied!....But glad the hikers are safe.....wonder how 2 of them could have lost their shoes? And the snakes are really bad, and with all the rain we've had mostly every day, the mosquitoes are too.

***VamPyroX*** · 07-31-2009, 06:38 PM

Eh? Two are deaf and one is hearing impaired? Being redundant?

It's still good that the dogs found these people.

**shel90** · 07-31-2009, 06:54 PM

Glad that they were found safe.

I agree with you Vampy..I was a little puzzled by that statement.

***VamPyroX*** · 07-31-2009, 07:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shel90

Glad that they were found safe.

I agree with you Vampy..I was a little puzzled by that statement.

It's probably the definition by the standards of hearing people.

I had that problem when I was filling out an application at a government office. When I said I was "hard of hearing", they thought I was like those old people who had little hearing loss. I then explained that I hear well with hearing aids, but can't without hearing aids. Then they said, "Oh, so you're hearing impaired?"

There was a guy I knew who didn't consider himself deaf (big 'D' or small 'd'). He simply said he was hearing impaired and considered himself "hearing" with little hearing loss. He didn't even consider himself deaf or hard of hearing (most people would say he's hard of hearing).

So, it's probably based on their own labeling system.

**shel90** · 07-31-2009, 07:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by VamPyroX

It's probably the definition by the standards of hearing people.

I had that problem when I was filling out an application at a government office. When I said I was "hard of hearing", they thought I was like those old people who had little hearing loss. I then explained that I hear well with hearing aids, but can't without hearing aids. Then they said, "Oh, so you're hearing impaired?"

There was a guy I knew who didn't consider himself deaf (big 'D' or small 'd'). He simply said he was hearing impaired and considered himself "hearing" with little hearing loss. He didn't even consider himself deaf or hard of hearing (most people would say he's hard of hearing).

So, it's probably based on their own labeling system.

My guess would be is that the 3rd guy is hard of hearing.

What some people dont realize is that deafness does fall under the hearing impaired definition. LOL!

web730 · 07-31-2009, 07:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rockin'robin

This town is about 15-20 miles from me (a little "hole in the wall" place). Very countryfied!....But glad the hikers are safe.....wonder how 2 of them could have lost their shoes? And the snakes are really bad, and with all the rain we've had mostly every day, the mosquitoes are too.

It's only about 15 miles from my place, too. Can't imagine myself hiking without shoes there. Yup, black moccasins are prone reaching out farther especially whenever it rains lot! Just a good things dogs found them safe.

A little deaf girl aged 3 or 4 from St. Augustine was killed by a black moccasin snake several years ago walking near the intracoastal waterway.

I once slipped by a black moccasin just an inch by my right ankle wearing sneakers on a apartment corner sidewalk yet ironically, it was scared from me and fast-hopped back into a pond... boy, I was so lucky! Never seen a snake hopping ever like that before... indicted that it was scared off. lol

deafannieboo · 08-01-2009, 06:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by VamPyroX

Eh? Two are deaf and one is hearing impaired? Being redundant?

It's still good that the dogs found these people.

prob ment to say two deaf one hoh. i betcha they didnt know the diff.

thefoundedhiker · 08-06-2009, 11:18 PM

I'm one of the lost hikers, I'm the one that xcalled in the cops, my roomate n I lost our shoes due to the very swampy area, I in fact was wearing flip flops (I know stupid) but I wasn't planning on my flip flop to break n get lost, the other roomate female she lost hers while trying to find me... the 2 deaf roomates were trying find way to get out while I was staying in one spot trying to talk to the cops we were just trying to find the lake to take pictures we was not planning on getting stuck out there it a day that we will never forget or go back any time soon, everything started to look the same and we figured if we just kept going fowrard we would found the trail that we have been looking for.

07-31-2009, 06:04 PM	#1 (permalink)
yizuman Registered User Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Indiana Posts: 2,370	Search Dog Helps Police Find Deaf Hikers 3 Hikers Disappeared Wednesday At Black Creek Swamp POSTED: Thursday, July 30, 2009 MIDDLEBURG, Fla. -- Clay County deputies said Thursday if it weren't for their search dog's nose, they might not have found three missing hikers when they did. Two women and one man disappeared hiking on trails at the Black Creek Swamp on Wednesday. Two of them are deaf, and another is hearing impaired. Deputies said their search dog helped track them down in just a matter of hours. K-9 Santo and Sgt. Mike Seymour were called on to find the hikers. "They had went on a day adventure, got turned around and got lost back in that area," Seymour said. "It's very thick, very wooded, very nasty. I didn't see a snake, didn't see an alligator, but was definitely looking for it." As if the conditions in the woods weren't bad enough with the heat and afternoon storms, two of the hikers lost their shoes and wound up walking barefoot. Video Seymour said Santo picked up the hiker's scent because the humidity and the temperature caused the hikers' scent to lay on the ground, allowing the K-9 to track them quite easily. The hikers were exhausted and dehydrated. It took the group almost two hours to make their way out of the woods. __________________

07-31-2009, 06:38 PM	#3 (permalink)
*VamPyroX* bloody phreak from hell Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: 40.18, 58.41 Posts: 34,139	Eh? Two are deaf and one is hearing impaired? Being redundant? It's still good that the dogs found these people. __________________ Check out my city... C L I C K H E R E! (If you've already visited yesterday, visit again today!)

07-31-2009, 06:54 PM	#4 (permalink)
shel90 Let It Snow!!!! Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: A place where crabs are popular Posts: 40,290 Blog Entries: 3	Glad that they were found safe. I agree with you Vampy..I was a little puzzled by that statement. __________________ "Wine improves with age. The older I get, the better I like it." --- Anonymous

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07-31-2009, 06:24 PM	#2 (permalink)
rockin'robin Registered User Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Jacksonville, Florida Posts: 15,278	This town is about 15-20 miles from me (a little "hole in the wall" place). Very countryfied!....But glad the hikers are safe.....wonder how 2 of them could have lost their shoes? And the snakes are really bad, and with all the rain we've had mostly every day, the mosquitoes are too.

08-06-2009, 11:18 PM	#9 (permalink)
thefoundedhiker Registered User Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 1	I'm one of the lost hikers, I'm the one that xcalled in the cops, my roomate n I lost our shoes due to the very swampy area, I in fact was wearing flip flops (I know stupid) but I wasn't planning on my flip flop to break n get lost, the other roomate female she lost hers while trying to find me... the 2 deaf roomates were trying find way to get out while I was staying in one spot trying to talk to the cops we were just trying to find the lake to take pictures we was not planning on getting stuck out there it a day that we will never forget or go back any time soon, everything started to look the same and we figured if we just kept going fowrard we would found the trail that we have been looking for.