WINTERSPORT BACKSTAGE
ABOVE
A well-rehearsed team: Group leader Andreas Kaufmann and the eight-year-old Labrador Retriever Joy.
equipped with ski boots, skis and backpack, to be picked up by the helicopter. Ideally, dog handlers work at their place of residence. „In winter I always have Joy with me when I am working“ says Kaufmann, who is responsible for winter services and the hiking trail network at the Grindelwald municipality. Even after 18 years as a dog handler, Kaufmann is nervous about every mission: „You never know what to expect on the ground.“ The most important goal, he says, is to save lives. Together with other trained rescuers, every effort is made to rescue anyone buried in an avalanche. The dog handler explains that „The first 15 minutes are the most important, after that the probability of survival decreases rapidly.” Dogs can smell human scent through several metres of snow. If buried people cannot be located with technical aids such as avalanche beacons or Recco, dogs are often their only chance of being found. Which is why the dog‘s good nose is still indispensable in a today‘s rescue.
„Others play golf“ However, sometimes all help comes too late and victims buried are either recovered dead or die on the way to hospital. Fortunately this doesn‘t happen very often, but it is still part of the dog handler’s daily routine. „It is important to talk about your feelings with your team colleagues and family“ says Kaufmann. The good team spirit amongst the rescuers is central for him and, of course, the joy with the animal. „A good
bond is the be-all and end-all for every dog handler“ Kaufmann emphasises. „I am grateful when I see that the dog is successful and that the great effort given at a young age has paid off“ says the 51-year-old man who has already trained his second avalanche dog named Joy. He says it is important to be patient and spend a lot of time with the dog. „That is not always easy for my family“ Kaufmann explains. He recalls that once on the way to the graduation party
Labrador Retriever Joy looking for avalanche victims. BELOW
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