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The LAPD deployed a 3-year-old bloodhound named Coco after receiving reports of a person in crisis at Angeles National ForestAfter sniffing “the subject’s clothing,” the dog crossed over creeks and navigated obstacles to locate the missing hiker”This is what we train for, and we don’t often get the opportunity to do these types of rescue missions,” said Sgt. Desi Ehrlich of LAPD’s Gang and Narcotics Division

A K-9 with the Los Angeles Police Department successfully located a missing hiker in California. 

On Wednesday, Jan. 7, the LAPD received a call regarding a person in crisis who was last seen in Angeles National Forest. So, they immediately deployed their 3-year-old bloodhound, Coco, to use her keen sense of smell to help them track down the lost hiker. 

“She just wants to go, go, go,” LAPD Officer Bardo Zavala told local outlet ABC7. “There’s no time where I’m standing in a room, and she wants to lay down.”

“I deployed Coco, using one of the subject’s clothing,” Zavala, who is also a K-9 handler for LAPD’s Gang and Narcotics Division, continued. “Coco picked up a trail taking us deep into the canyon.”

While the dog had never explored that area before, her training had prepared her to push through any obstacle that might stand in her way. At one point, officers even lifted her over an 8-foot wall so she wouldn’t lose the hiker’s scent. 

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“Picking her up and putting her over a wall that was something that we’ve never done,” Zavala admitted. “She actually went through four to five creeks, and she enjoyed going to the creek. She took a sip every time she would pass one and continued on the trail, which was amazing, amazing to see.”

According to ABC7, Coco has been training with the LAPD since she was just 9 weeks old, though most of her time has been spent in the city’s urban areas. 

“This is what we train for, and we don’t often get the opportunity to do these types of rescue missions,” Sgt. Desi Ehrlich of LAPD’s Gang and Narcotics Division told the outlet. “And when we do, people are just wandering off into the woods, and sometimes they pop up on the other side, and they end up getting into a car, and they’re gone.”

In this case, Coco led the LAPD directly to the missing person after nine hours of searching the forest. Ultimately, the person was airlifted to safety with the help of a rescue team. 

“Coco did a great job that day, and it got us as far as any dog could,” Ehrlich added. “And it really feels good to be able to contribute to saving someone’s life.”