A search team safely rescued a dog stuck alone in a mudflat with a sausage attached to a drone.
Millie, a three-year-old Jack Russell, went missing in a reed bed near Emsworth, Hampshire, on January 13, and was eventually found using a drone camera in a dangerous area of mudflats. However, as the mudflat was too dangerous for the rescue team to access, the rescue operation failed for two days after the initial discovery.
Then a rescuer had the idea of hanging a sausage from a drone. Chris Taylor, from the volunteer group, described it as a “brilliant idea”.
Millie’s owner Emma Oakes said she was “horrified” when she saw Millie surprised by something during a walk, her harness came off and she ran away. And two hours after she went missing, Millie was found on the coastal mudflats of Langston.
“We had to plan quickly because the wetlands were at risk of flooding within hours,” Mr Taylor said.
“Our drone pilot thought about attaching food to attract it. Fortunately, the drone could support the weight of a piece of sausage.”
“Luckily, Millie, who was hungry, easily followed the baiting operation and arrived at the edge of the mudflat, about 300 meters higher than the danger zone, and was able to rescue her.”
But Millie wasn’t caught and ran off into the woods near the A3 after eating half the sausage.
After two more days of running, Millie was found 5km away near Cosham Fire Station and eventually rescued by emergency services.
“It was a really unusual rescue. Normally rescue operations aren’t that complicated,” Mr Taylor said.
“Navigating this area was very difficult. In this case, the drone was worth its weight in gold.”
Ms Emma said Millie was in good health despite her ordeal.
“The work they do as volunteers is fantastic,” she added. “I can’t thank them enough.”
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