Image: Donation by Peel Charity shop
For the second year running Peel Charity shop has donated £1000 to SARDA IOM. This donation allows the Search Dogs to continue their high cost of training and will allow the handlers to replace some worn out clothing.
Pictured are on the left Dawn Webb (Chairman SARDA IOM) with the committee of Peel charity shop and handler Jim Macgregor with Star.
Sarda IOM currently has two qualified search and rescue dogs which are trained to find people through air scenting. This takes a great deal of commitment and dedication but is also very rewarding and enjoyable. The organisation is currently looking to expand.
Could you:
Train a dog up and become a handler?
Be prepared to navigate for a handler in an emergency situation?
Assist with the training of the dogs by hiding?
Help out with the committee?
IN PARTICULAR WE ARE LOOKING FOR NEW HANDLERS TO TRAIN UP DOGS.
There are certain requirements but if interested either:
call Jim on 428847
look at www.sardaiom.org
E-Mail j.macgregor@snhs.sch.im
Or let us know and pop along to one of our training sessions to see what is involved!
"Jim Macgregor & Star recently took part with SARDA Wales and the RAF in a winching exercise in the Llanberis Pass. The team went through a sequence of familarisation of the helicopter with lots of praise from handlers and the crew of the helicopter. This involved the intial landing (photo 1). Then the dogs were taken throught the helicopter with the engines off (photo 2) then with the engines on and finally with the blades turning. All the time the dogs were given lots of praise. The team was then winched up (photo 3 & 4) and taken on a short flight around Llanberis and winched back to the field. Finally the ruck sacks were picked up and the teams were lifted to a Cwm on the slopes of Snowdon where they completed a search down the valley. A big thanks to SARDA Wales and their bodies for the opportunity and the RAF from Valley."
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Recently 10 members of Civil Defence with two support drivers completed the three highest peaks in England, Wales & Scotland under 24 hours. A guess the time to complete the walking section was held and a total of £1080 has been raised for SARDA IOM. Thanks greatly to Civil Defence and its supporters for raising so much money.
Recently the Manx Lottery Trust has funded SARDA IOM for two GPS units for the handlers and two smaller units for the dogs. Also we have purchased a copy of memory map. This system a will greatly help with the training of the dogs and can be used to show the police areas searched during call outs. Thanks greatly to the Manx Lottery Trust for their support.
Image: Civil Defence volunteers that completed the challenge!
Isle of Man Civil Defence is once again showing its fantastic support to SARDA IOM through one of its latest fundraising events. 10 volunteers including Jim MacGregor one of SARDA IOM dog handlers, are completing the 3 Peaks Challenge in May, raising money for SARDA IOM and many other causes by climbing the biggest peaks in England, Wales and Scotland in less than 24 hours.
The volunteers will summit Snowdon in Wales, then Scafell Pike in England, finishing with a trek up Ben Nevis in Scotland. One of the ways to help support this challenge is by filling out the sponsorship forms that are going around or emailing sardaiom@manx.net to pass on monies to the challenge.
Thanks to everyone involved and from everyone at SARDA IOM, all the best of luck!
Image: The Civil Defence volunteers involved in 3 Peak Challenge
Isle of Man Civil Defence Homepage
On the 30th April, the new SARDA IOM Committee was formed. All are unpaid volunteers now taking on offical roles as well as spending numerous hours regualrally being bodies for the dogs to find during training events.
During this meeting, the following roles were proposed and agreed.
Chairman - Dawn Webb
Vice Chairman - Phil Diment
Secretary - Sarah Nixon
Treasurer - John Callow
Police Liaison - Matt Creer
Training - Jim Macgregor
Fundraising - Jackie Pate
Media Publishing - Lissa Barklie
Mapping/Land clearance - Phil Styles
Equipment - Jon Whiting
Social Secretary - Mick Naylor
The two dog handlers -
Matt Creer with Search dog Lola
Jim MacGregor with Search dog Star
Various Navigators when needed-
Lissa Barklie
Jon Whiting
Phil Styles
John Callow
and other members of Civil Defence.
Thanks to everyone who has volunteered!
Jim Macgregor and Star have passed their assessment at the end of March in Snowdonia and are now have full search dog status. They were required to search an open hill area, a woodland and an industrial estate. Assessors were looking to see the area was searched efficently and that all the bodies were locted in each of the areas. Jiim says " I would like to thank all of Sarda Wales for their efforts and patience for me and Star to qualify. In particular Richard and Kev who have done a great deal on area coverage and effective use of the dog." The status of the team will need to be re-graded in three years time but there is hope to progress through the mountain stages in the near future.
Image: Jim & Star after the assessment! Looking worn out!
A huge thank you too all of the staff of the Isle of Man bank of Lloyds TSB bank who very kindly donated £100 to SARDA IOM through various fundraising events, this money is going towards getting the dogs new GPS compatable jackets, thanks once again!
The joint control room rang at 2.30am on Sunday 15th March to search for a 10 year old girl missing in the Onchan area from the previous evening. Jim Macgregor & Star with Lissa Barklie navigating commenced searching parklands and comercial areas at 2.55am. The police located the girl safe and well at 3.30am and the team were stood down.
On Thursday 12th Feb Matt with Lola and Jim with Star were called out at 20:10 to search for a missing male in the Groudle area. Matt searched the cliffs to the North of where the Mispers car was located with a Police search dog also in attendance. Jim Searched South of the car on the cliffs towards Onchan. The area was extensively searched until 21:30 when a body was located by Douglas lifeboat crew below vertical cliffs between the two search areas. Jim & Star with Nick navigating continued to search Groudle railway and Groudle Glen until the body found had been positively identified and the search was called off at 22:40.
A red flare had been seen by two properties close to Sulby Reservoir. Jim with Star (Jon Whiting navigating) and Matt with Lola (Ralph Jackson navigating) met at the RV at Sulby Reservoir. The all island rescue group was assembling. Matt was deployed to the NE side of Sulby Reservoir and then Druidale farm and towards the water splash. Jim was deployed to the Brandywell Road working on the moors towards Brandywell Cottage. At 22.30 the teams were stood down with nothing located and no missing persons reported.
Jim Macgregor & Star with navigator Lissa Barklie were called at 11:30pm to search for a vulnerable missing male. The search commenced at 11:40 around industrial estates, Douglas Golf Course and surrounding areas. The team were stood down at 2:30am after no trace was found. The area searched was the last known location of the Missing person. Located by Police at 5:05am driving his car.
A call was made at 18.30 for a Missing Person in the Glen Maye area. Both Matt Creer with Lola and Jim Macgregor with Star were deployed. Both were initially tasked to clear fields above a glen in the Glen Maye area commencing at 19.00hrs. The dogs searched from oppposite ends finally clearing a large house with its grounds. The teams were then redeployed with Jon Whiting as navigator for Jim and John Callow as navigator for Matt. Matt & Lola were then tasked with clearing the Mispers home area, proceeding on to search Patrick Church and grounds. Meanwhile Jim & Star were deployed to search the coastline further south. At 22:30 the Misper was located by Police and the teams were stood down. This proved a very succesful search with Coastguard, Fire Service, Police, Civil Defence and the Search Dogs all working closely together for a successful outcome.
For all other past callouts, please see the callouts pages.
Jon Whiting has been doing a sponcered slim down, losing weight for money! It may have something to do with our latest trainee dog, Vector who Jon is training to hopefully become the latest qualified Search Dog on the Isle of Man.
So far Jon has raised £335 and the total is climbing. Many thanks for everyone that has given money in and Jon for his efforts!
Sarda IOM with Jim, search dog Star with Lissa navigating were asked to take part in an all agency exercise to search for a fictious person who was insulin dependant, on Sunday 20th July. The exercise and invite came from Kevin Williams, one of the island's Polsa. The exercise included Police, Coastguard, Civil Defence, Fire and Rescue service and Sarda IOM.
The call was recieved at 12.30 to meet at Sulby Reservoir. The search started at 13.30 after a briefing with Star covering an area through forestry in Tholt-e-Will Plantation. The search continued for 2 hours when the Sarda team then had a 20 minute break. The team then commenced their search for another 3 hours at the top end of Tholt-e-Will unitl Jim decided that the dog needed a longer rest and were stood down by the Police. The search eventually extended to cover Ballaugh Plantation where the casualty was located behind a Wall. It was an excellent exercise which tested the multi-agency approach and allowed Star to work on a longer search and Jim to make use of Lissa as a navigator. It was a valuable experience and a lot was learned.
Thanks goes to the IOM Constabulary and particularly Kev Williams, for inviting SARDA to take part.
Image: Jim & Star
Jim and Star covered varied search areas during the excerise from steep plantation, to open areas, buildings, private housing, rivers, dense ferns and open tracks. To see more photos, please see the photo gallery section.
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Image: Jim at the finish line!
Jim Macgregor completed the London Marathon in a time of 4 hours 49mins 24 secs. Running all the way in a dog suit loaned by SARDA Wales (pictured) encouragement was given by the crowd with renditions of "who let the dogs out?".
The final amount of money raised through "guess the finish time" was £550 which was shared between SARDA Wales & IOM. We are all extremely grateful for the level of support we gain from SARDA Wales with our regular training weekends.
There were 7 winners in the guess the time competition all guessing 4hours 50mins. These were:
Ruth - Meal for 2 at Ciapellis (thanks to Ciapellis and Moore Stephens)
Stephen - £50 Euromanx vouchers (Thanks to Euromanx)
Kirsty - £25 nail voucher (Thanks to Digits)
Ellan - Meal for two at Clinches (Thanks to Clinches & Steve Quinney)
Diane - Kettle and filters (Thanks to Strix)
Daniel & Calum - Both recieving photos of the Isle of Man (Thanks to Lissa Barklie)
Thanks you to everyone who guessed and donated prizes, the money raised will help SARDA greatly.
Image: Jim's suit!
Image: Jim & Star
Image: Richard, Jim and Kev with the certificate!
Jim & Star graded to novice search dog status on 11th November 2007 in North Wales.
This now means that they are qualified for call outs all across the Isle of Man and in lowland areas in Wales.
Matt and Lola attended the SARDA Wales assessments in Snowdonia at the end of March. After gruelling assessments, consisting of 5 mountian areas in 3 days, they successfully upgraded to Full Search Dog Status.
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Upgraded: Search Dog Lola
Lola made a life saving find on the evening of Monday the 6th November. This was her first live find and it is clear that had she not located the misper when she did that the outcome would have been a tragic one. We are all very proud of her. Follow this link for details
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