On April 3, a massive 7.2-magnitude earthquake occurred in Hualien County, Taiwan. Reports claimed that people were trapped under the boulders along Shakadang Trail in Taroko National Park. 2 bodies were already retrieved on April 5. The Fire Department Special Search Team, Hualien Fire Department, and Kaohsiung Fire Department worked together and dispatched 6 search and rescue canines to assist in the mission. The Kaohsiung Fire Department shared photos and videos of its dog handler, Chen Menghong, and his partner, a Belgian Malinois breed named Chuanba, slowly descending on a treacherous sandy 60-degree slope.
The video showed the dog handler descending the slope with Belgian Malinois Chuanba. The dog was taking the lead while looking around in search of survivors. Chen Menghong was about to lose his balance but was quick to regain his balance. Chuanba turned around and waited for his handler to stabilize his footing, then continued to descend for the search and rescue mission.
The dog handler revealed that the descent was slippery, with stones of various sizes falling along the way. Several landslides occurred earlier, and the duo had to pass through landslides to reach the search location. When Chen Menghong sees that Chuanba is walking down the slopes faster, he will remind him to wait. “The path is very difficult and a bit dangerous,” Chen Menghong said in an interview with ETtoday News. “I told him to wait for me because I also worry about him wandering into some more dangerous areas, so we wait for each other and make sure one and the other is safe.”
For this mission along the Shakadang Trail, the Fire Department’s Special Search Team dispatched 1 search and rescue dog, the Hualien Fire Department sent 3 dogs, and the Kaohsiung Fire Department sent 2 dogs. The 3 departments worked together and secured the area to ensure no civilians entered the dangerous locations. Each team was assigned locations to search. Dog handler Chen Menghong said, “This time, Chuanbayi went to the scene to assist in the search and passed some places that may have survivors. When the dogs sniff a body trapped under the boulders, they would bark, and the search and rescue personnel would make a second confirmation.”
Dog handler Chen Menghong also mentioned that the search and rescue mission was quite difficult due to the unstable weather. It was raining in Hualien, making their task take longer than usual. 6-year-old Chuanba has participated in various disaster relief missions in Kaohsiung before. However, this is the first major mission that he has participated in. Good job, Chuanba! ❤️
