Latest news with #SearchAndRescue
BBC News
4 hours ago
- Climate
- BBC News
Six dead and two missing after boat flips in Lake Tahoe
Six people were killed when a boat capsized in Lake Tahoe, a popular tourist destination on the border of California and Nevada. Two others are still missing following the accident on Saturday, which occurred as fierce winds battered the lake, kicking up 8ft-tall (2.5m) El Dorado County Sheriff's Office said two survivors were pulled from the water and are being treated in hospital for hypothermia and other to the US Coast Guard, the 27-ft-long gold Chris-craft boat was caught in a large swell when winds gusted to 35mph (56km/h). On Sunday, the sheriff's Dive Team and Search and Rescue was continuing the search for victims near the shores of the DL Bliss State Park, where the accident of the victims have yet been identified by authorities. The emergency call for a capsized boat was reported around 15:00 local time, according to the sheriff's office. It was reported that 10 people were in the water as air temperatures were swiftly falling and the lake grew unexpectedly rough. According to the Reno Gazette Journal, temperatures dropped to near freezing on Saturday afternoon, bringing rain and snow to the Sierra mountains surrounding the lake. Video posted online shows large waves knocking boats against docks. According to officials, multiple boats were damaged in the storm, potentially leaking contaminants into the to the San Francisco Chronicle, the area where the accident occurred is near a rock feature known as Rooster Rock, which has an underwater drop-off more than 300ft deep. Lake Tahoe is the largest alpine lake in North America. It has an average depth of 1,000ft, according to the University of California, Davis.
The Independent
6 hours ago
- Climate
- The Independent
Six dead and two missing in Lake Tahoe powerboat tragedy
A luxury powerboat carrying 10 people capsized on Lake Tahoe during a powerful storm on Saturday afternoon. Six people died in the incident, and two survivors were rescued and taken to a local hospital. Two individuals remain missing, and search efforts by the El Dorado County Sheriff's Office Search and Rescue and Dive Team are ongoing. The 27-foot Chris-Craft vessel capsized due to large six-to-eight-foot waves and 35 mph winds near D.L. Bliss State Park. Witnesses reported unusually high winds creating dangerous conditions on the lake, leading to a tragic day.
BBC News
a day ago
- BBC News
Body of man, 20, recovered from River Tees after search
A 20-year-old man's body has been recovered from a man is believed to have gone into the River Tees at Gainford on Friday afternoon and got into Police said formal identification had not yet taken place but the man's family had been and Weardale Search and Mountain Rescue Team and County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service were involved in the river search. Follow BBC Tees on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
Irish Times
7 days ago
- General
- Irish Times
Search and rescue dogs: ‘They could be a person's last hope of survival'
Davy Fraser is explaining why Search and Rescue Dog Association Ireland North (Sarda IN) do what they do – 'You see a family standing wondering what's going on ... and if you can do something to help' – when his phone rings. The pop song Who Let the Dogs Out? echoes across the yard at Tollymore National Outdoor Centre near Newcastle, Co Down. This is where Sarda IN is based. 'That's a call out,' his colleague, Trevor Hartley, says. Hartley's phone begins ringing too, then another, then another, until a chorus of ringtones echoes around the forest that surrounds the centre. READ MORE It is the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) asking for Sarda IN's help to find a missing person. Within minutes, the handlers – and their dogs – are in their vehicles and have taken to the road, blue lights flashing. The only registered voluntary search dog team in Northern Ireland, Sarda IN is part of the North's official search and rescue effort and is tasked by the PSNI, fire service , mountain rescue and gardaí to find and rescue people missing on both sides of the Border. In its lifetime – the charity was founded in 1978 – its dogs and handlers, all volunteers, have carried out 3,000 search missions, and last year dealt with 32 call-outs. These are specialist dogs, explains training officer Rafe O'Connor. In addition to six mountain rescue dogs, they have four urban search and rescue dogs that work for the fire service and are part of the international search team that are dispatched to earthquakes abroad. There are four trailing dogs that are 'scene-specific', says O'Connor. Cadaver dog Rosie waiting for a turn during a training session at a quarry. Photograph: Alan Betson 'So, for example, if an elderly person has gone missing, they can find them up to 24 hours [afterwards by] following a specific scent trail,' he says. 'We have four cadaver specialist search dogs, which is for deceased humans – unfortunately, but that's sometimes needed.' The work of the cadaver dogs has been cast into the spotlight after it emerged following the recent sentencing of Richard Satchwell for the 2017 murder of his wife Tina Satchwell in their Youghal, Co Cork home that the State does not have its own such dog. On Friday gardaí investigating the murder of Annie McCarrick , who went missing in Dublin more than 32 years ago, brought in a cadaver dog to search a house in Clondalkin, west Dublin, that had been sealed off, though it was not one of the dogs from Sarda IN. Nelly, a cadaver dog, sits and waits during search training. Photograph: Alan Betson Following the Satchwell case, Sarda NI has written to Garda Commissioner Drew Harris 'reminding him of the assets we have and that we're more than willing' to assist, says O'Connor. A potential link with the fire service in the Republic is also being explored. Donna Harper knows first-hand the difference a cadaver dog can make. Sarda IN's dogs were deployed to Creeslough, Co Donegal, to search for victims and survivors in the rubble of the suspected gas explosion that killed 10 people in 2022. She waited almost 24 hours for her 14-year-old daughter Leona – the last to be found – to be recovered. 'Without a doubt, we would have been waiting a lot longer if it hadn't been for the dogs,' she says. 'There were a few dogs on site ... they actually went and they sniffed out the area and then indicated to the handlers, who then indicated to the emergency services, where Leona was, and that's how Leona was found. 'It really was an emotional scene – it was incredible to watch them work, and to see what the dogs and their handlers were able to do.' Harper and her family are still in touch with the dogs and handlers who found her daughter, and fundraise for the charity. The State, she says, must either invest in its own dog or fund the work of Sarda IN. 'The Government did say they would help in any way they could, when the explosion happened, so there's no better chance now for them to stand up and help,' she says. 'As a mother, I'm asking them to help now and fund the dogs.' Dr Neil Powell, president and founding member of Sarda IN, with Nelly, a cadaver dog. Photograph: Alan Betson In Co Down, at Sarda IN's base, the team has returned. Dogs and handlers that had been called out were stood down after police identified a location for the missing person. Instead, they return to the planned training exercise. Human blood and bone – the charity has a licence to use small amounts of archaeological remains – has been hidden in a small container inside a shed and beneath a rock. First up is Fraser's dog Rosie, a Labrador-hound mix who was originally a rescue dog. She bounds off and heads straight for the shed; when she finds the scent, she begins to bark loudly, stopping only when she gets her reward – a ball to play with. Next is Sarda IN founder Neil Powell's dog, Nelly, a springer spaniel who has plenty of experience. 'She'll be very quick,' he says. Once released from her lead, Nelly shoots off. 'See that – boom,' says O'Connor. 'That was about five seconds. She's a rocket.' Nelly sits by her find, looking very proud of herself. 'She's saying: 'Give me my toy,'' says Fraser. In the Satchwell case, it was more than six years after Tina's disappearance that a cadaver dog was brought in to assist with the search. The 45-year-old's body was found buried underneath the house in October 2023, more than six years after her disappearance. A garda searching a property with the assistance of a specialist cadaver dog. Photograph: Damien Eagers/ PA Wire The house was searched around the time of her disappearance in 2017 but a cadaver dog was not used. When a dog was deployed during the 2023 search, it focused on the area under the sittingroom stairs, from where human remains were subsequently recovered. [ How was Tina Satchwell left in a makeshift grave under the stairs for more than six years? Opens in new window ] O'Connor is in no doubt that had a dog been used in 2017, Ms Satchwell would have been found. 'If you imagine you've buried a body in the house; what's out there,' he says, gesturing towards the training ground where Nelly is now playing with her ball, 'is a small piece of blood, it's probably 20ml, and it's a tiny piece of bone, but if you've buried a body, I can guarantee within 10m of it the dog will be showing interest in that area'. Would it be 'preferable', as Minister for Justice Jim O'Callaghan said following Satchwell's conviction, for gardaí to have a dog? 'We don't get involved in operational decisions that's entirely up to a police force,' says O'Connor. But he points out: 'Having one would be lacking in resilience ... you would actually need multiple. We always use two dogs for any operation, one to back up the other.' Today, those dogs and their handlers have a global reputation. In the containers that serve as the charity's headquarters, their gear is always packed and ready, so they can be deployed to an earthquake or a disaster zone at a moment's notice. Dr Neil Powell in a training session with Nelly, a cadaver dog. Photograph: Alan Betson O'Connor points out a photograph of 'the famous Pepper'. 'He was Neil's dog, he was at Lockerbie with him, and that's his original jacket,' he says, referring to the 1988 bomb attack on a Pan Am flight in December 1988 that killed 270 people, including 11 residents of the Scottish town. The best moments are when someone is found alive. In a disused quarry overlooking Newcastle, O'Connor's border collie, Floss – or 'Super Search Dog Floss' as he calls her – shoots off towards the pile of blocks, which simulate a collapsed building. Within about 20 seconds, she has found him. 'The big find Floss got was Carol Grey in 2019 ... which won her Superdog Hero of the Year in 2022,' says O'Connor. 'This lady had been missing from the Ulster Hospital for four days. That's what it's all about for us. 'Those wee dogs there could be a person's last hope of survival,' says Hartley. 'It's amazing to watch what they can do.'
News.com.au
13-06-2025
- Automotive
- News.com.au
INEOS ute takes on Australia's High Country
INEOS might be new to the car game but they've already nailed something most brands spend decades trying to achieve: identity. What started as pub banter, a pint-fuelled chat about the modern Land Rover Defender going soft, has turned into an automotive company. Its latest creation is the Grenadier Quartermaster, a no-nonsense dual-cab 4WD designed to fill the gap between the hardcore off-roaders like the Toyota 70 Series LandCruiser and oversize American pick-ups like the RAM 1500. But this vehicle has quickly become more than just an off-roader. It has become a trusted support and survival vehicle for people who genuinely need it. You'll find Grenadiers working ski fields at Mount Buller, deployed by Search and Rescue Avalanche Dogs (SARDA) in New Zealand and supporting ultra-marathon teams across some of the world's harshest terrain. Our test drive took place in alpine territory. Thanks to INEOS' partnership with Mt Buller, we trekked through private trails, rivers, snow and steep inclines. The Quartermaster did not disappoint. At 5.4 metres long and over 2 metres tall, the Quartermaster looks like it belongs in a military convoy. Built on a ladder-frame chassis with Carraro solid beam axles front and rear, heavy-duty coil-over suspension, a galvanised steel body and front and rear skid plates, this thing is engineered for extreme conditions. Power comes from a BMW-sourced 3.0-litre straight six diesel (183kW/550Nm), paired with a ZF 8-speed automatic transmission. It runs a two-speed transfer case with an old school manual low-range shifter and centre diff lock, giving the driver real mechanical control. The Quartermaster also includes off-road and wading modes, the latter allowing it to plunge through 800mm of water. It rides comfortably, steers predictably and offers great visibility. Fuel use is claimed at 10.5L/100km which seems fair for a vehicle of this size. It carries a 90-litre fuel tank and 17L AdBlue capacity for long-range trips. My test vehicle was painted in 'Magic Mushroom', one of the several cheeky colour names created by the founders, alongside, 'Scottish White', named after one founder's pale legs and 'Donny Grey', after another's hometown. That humour carries through to the cabin, where you'll find a dual horn set-up, including a thumb-activated 'polite horn' to give a gentle nudge in traffic, derived from INEOS' cycling culture. Climb inside and you're met with an upright seating, incredible visibility and an interior that feels more like a jet fighter cockpit than a cabin. The centre and overhead are lined with tactile, IP-rated switches and dials that can be operated with gloves or wet hands, it can even be hosed down. It might feel overwhelming at first but this layout is highly practical. Everyday functions like airconditioning, heated seats, audio are in the middle console, while the overhead buttons control hill descent, front and rear diff locks, off-road, wading mode, and even integrated spotlights in the grille. Metal hoops help separate controls so you can feel your way through them, especially helpful when off-roading. You also get rubber floors with drain valves, so you can rinse out the car after a long weekend of bush bashing. There's no digital dashboard in front of the driver or heads up display, instead the speedometer lives in the centre infotainment system, which felt a little unnatural at first but was easy to adapt to. The tub is built for function, measuring 1564mm long and 1619mm wide and there's a spare mounted in the tray rather than underneath. But the Quartermaster isn't without its quirks, the footwell on the drivers side is cramped thanks to some awkward component packaging beneath the floor. In the rear, foot space is tighter than expected but you get a big tray in exchange. The rear payload is also lighter than rivals at 832kg, making it less of a workhorse than a HiLux or Ranger but feels more capable off-road. Starting at approximately $118,000 (plus on-road-costs), the number will climb when you start to configure your own build or you can opt for a preset version like the Trialmaster or Fieldmaster that come with all the trimmings – heated seats, ambient puddle lighting, a lockable centre stowage box, compass with altimeter and premium leather. hhhhj There's something truly special about the Quartermaster. It doesn't feel like a vehicle that's been built by a mass corporation, it feels like a passion project. A serious off-roader built by people who live and breathe the outdoors. It isn't for everyone but that's its key selling point. Yes, it's expensive and comes with some quirks, but if you're after a ute with a whole lot of character and serious off-road potential, this is it.
