Search and Rescue Canine Team
2075 Hwy 97 E •Nixon, Texas 78140• (830)582-2117 • grandmadawg@yahoo.com
SABSAR Searches
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Margaret W. White
Photo Courtesy of News 8 Austin
On Thursday, July 28th, a call came in to Roni Braendle, one of the founding members of San Antonio Blacksun Search and Rescue (SABSAR) and the founder of the Gonzales chapter, from the Hays County Police Department to assist in the massive search on Friday morning, for Margaret Wilson White. Missing since Wednesday July 20, 2005.
Immediately, San Antonio and Gonzales team members were contacted to see who
could aid in the search.
Roni Braendle [with her Live Scent canine Boomer and Jo-el] and San Antonio
members Karen Dye [base], Sherri Burkhalter (with her canine cadaver dog, Bodi),
Clarence Smith (ground ), Cora Harnish (with her cadaver K-9 dog, Zoe), Jason
Kelly (ground ), Brenda Mygrant (with her live scent K-9 dog, Charles and
cadaver K-9 dog, Kasse), and Chris Cashman (and his K-9 live scent dog, Ruby and
cadaver dog, Gator) assisted in the search.
Gonzales members Jim Wilson (base), Pam Wilson (ground), Isabel Setliff
(ground), Tom Clark (equine-Team Leader with his horse) aided in the search,
also. Todd Hollingsworth was on standby, to bring the communications trailer to
the scene if necessary, and Judge Coleman was in route as soon as he could get
off work. For the Gonzales chapter team, it was their first experience of
working such a massive search with many other search and rescue teams at the
same location.
Upon arrival, they were debriefed and it was decided live scent dogs would go to
the last known location (which was Mrs. White's van) to pick up the direction of
travel. With Roni and her dog Boomer, Chris and his dog, Ruby, and Brenda and
her dog, Charlie, they scented all three dogs with Boomer leading with the
direction of travel.
They decided to "leap frog" the dogs because of so much area contamination.
After they traveled several feet from the van, Charlie found a scent and showed
that someone had crossed over a fence. The dogs wanted to go over the fence, but
they couldn't cross over because it was out of their area.
The Austin Police Equine Team located Mrs. White's body 400 yards from where
Charlie had indicated.
Roni Braendle said that she was very proud that so many members of other teams
on the scene came and complemented her on how well organized SABSAR was.
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