A police service dog is being hailed a hero after he helped officers track down an injured mushroom picker in the Comox Valley.
On Sunday, a Bowser man had gone out into the woods to pick mushrooms. The 68-year-old had fallen and gotten injured.
He managed to call a friend and provided them with a general description of the area, police say.
However, no further contact could be made because the man’s cell phone died.
Comox Valley RCMP, the RCMP Police Dog Services and Comox Valley Ground Search and Rescue attended the Cook Creek area where they found the mushroom picker’s vehicle.
Around 1 a.m. Gator, the police dog, began showing signs that he had picked up a scent.
As Gator led the dog handler deeper into the woods, Const. England called out and was able to hear a whistle in response.
The German shepherd continued to lead the way until the man was located.
The man was found with non-life threatening injuries, but was unable to walk.
Rescuers were able to stabilize the man before taking him to a waiting ambulance.
According to RCMP, Gator has only been in service since this summer and is posted with the Campbell River RCMP Police Dog Service.
