Quotes from Susan Bulanda

The victim was last seen in the spillway from Lake Charleston into the Embarras River, which is in Coles County, Illinois. Four wrestling team members decided to slide down the spillway during a flood. Two drowned. One body washed out of the spillway the following day.

If you're not sure if the dog has something or not, don't ask it if it has anything. You may talk the dog into an alert. Let the dog make up its own mind. Leave the area of greatest interest, search other areas or take a break, then bring the dog back in. Try to approach from another direction. Observe what your dog does without cueing from you; sometimes the dog will have no further interest in the area. – Marcia Koenig

When I initially heard a description of the search area and the scenario, I was certain this would be a wasted effort. I suspected there was very little we could do, given the huge size of the search area, rough terrain, terrible weather, age of the track (around 52 hours old), and the lack of resources. Clearly, I was wrong. I underestimated the ability of a trained SAR dog. – Deb Tirmenstein

When searching for a victim that is out of sight, such as under rubble, water, or in darkness, the handler wants an indication from the dog that is unmistakable, or "bombproof." However, occasionally you'll be on a search where even the best trained dog will do the bombproof alert. This is where close observation of your dog's body language can help you solve the problem. – Marcia Koenig