A four-legged member of the RCMP is being praised by his colleagues after helping to track down a missing, vulnerable senior.
Irene Paquet, 67, was reported missing on July 30 by family members, who told North Cowichan police that she had "significant health issues."
Her daughters said she hadn't been seen since leaving her home on July 28, and she requires frequent doses of medications.
Worried about her condition, officers immediately launched a missing persons investigation, but the missing woman could not be found.
The woman's vehicle was found four days later "with hope fading by the hour," Nanaimo RCMP said in a statement. The vehicle was found by a motorcycle rider, abandoned on a logging road in the Copper Canyon area, about 40 kilometres west of Chemainus.
Search and Rescue crews from Duncan and Ladysmith were dispatched to the area, assisted by members of the Cowichan Valley Amateur Radio Society, but Paquet was still missing by nightfall.
The next day, an RCMP Air Services helicopter and police dog Boomer joined in the search.
Working with his handler, Const. Clay Wurzinger, Boomer sniffed the area for signs of a track or scent. After about five hours of searching a 15-kilometre area, the working canine caught a smell in the air, and led his handler over an embankment.
Overhead, an official in the helicopter spotted her and was able to direct Wurzinger to her location.
"Miraculously, the missing female was spotted lying at the base of the berm," police said.
Paquet was weak, uncomfortable and barely able to speak, but grabbed the officer's hand and whispered "Thank you," several times.
Wurzinger alerted Search and Rescue, and crews arrived within 15 minutes. Emergency first aid was performed on the woman, who was then strapped to a spinal board and airlifted to Nanaimo Regional General Hospital.
"Her will to live was amazing and I give her credit for hanging on through what must have been an incredibly tough four days," Wurzinger said.
"It appears that her car got stuck, she left her car and started walking," Const. Gary O'Brien told CTV Vancouver Island, adding that rescuers thought "something tragic" might have happened had they not found her when they did.
"She was in really bad shape when they found her."
Paquet is expected to fully recover, and has already gained enough strength to walk around a bit.
Her daughters said they have no idea what their mother endured in the wilderness.
"It's very difficult for me to think about her outside by herself for a week, just wandering in the woods alone," Carrie Paquet told CTV.
"Day and night, out on those remote logging roads, I don't know how I myself would handle that," Celeste Paquet said.
"I would like to meet Boomer."
Mounties are crediting the perseverance of Boomer and his handler for the rescue, which Supt. Mark Fisher said made him proud.
"We are lucky to have them here," Fisher said in the statement.
Boomer was treated to a long rest and playtime with his favourite toy before going back to work.
With files from CTV Vancouver Island's Gord Kurbis
