Grant to boost charity's life-saving capability

The funding has been used to buy a range of equipment for the charity

A £28,000 grant will “significantly enhance” a search and rescue service’s ability to save lives, the charity has said.

Search and Rescue Dogs Association Isle of Man (Sarda IOM) received the funds from the Manx Lottery Trust to pay for “much-needed equipment” and improve safety systems.

The charity trains dogs to help locate people who have gone missing or got lost, often on difficult terrain.

Marc Marshall of Sarda IOM said the funds would improve efficiency and safety for the handlers and their animals.

The kit funded by the grant included first aid kits, survival bags, defibrillators, dog coats, helmets for helicopter winching and “navigating treacherous locations” and survival shelters to treat casualties in remote areas.

The charity uses specially trained dogs to locate missing people

The money would also be used to purchase a Search Management System, which would provide live tracking capabilities for teams deployed in different areas, as well as helping to manage equipment logs, training, callouts, and events.

Mr Marshall said: “This grant will significantly enhance our ability to respond to emergencies and save lives in the Isle of Man.

“Much of the time our dog teams face challenging and unpredictable search and rescue situations, so the new equipment and Search Management System will not only improve our efficiency but also the safety of our handlers, their dogs, and the individuals we aim to rescue.”

Chairman of the Manx Lottery Trust said the charity’s dog teams played a “critical role in our island's safety”.

“The equipment and Search Management System funded by this grant will undoubtedly save lives and strengthen the resilience of our community,” he added.