ST. LOUIS – Four members of Missouri Task Force 1 and their canines are heading to Maui Wednesday to help search for human remains. At least 106 are confirmed dead, and sadly, that number is going to rise. So a tough mission is ahead of them.
FOX 2’s Laura Simon spoke with three women who are canine handlers with Missouri Task Force 1. Two canine teams from the same group are already in Maui. They are based in Columbia, Missouri. According to the Boone County Fire Protection District, the 20 additional search dogs were part of a Tuesday request from authorities in Hawaii.
Lynn Ballard, Kathleen Kelsey, and Cathy Schlitz are taking their K-9s to help with this recovery mission. Cathy’s Border Collie, ‘Matty,’ is a human remains detection dog. Their mission on the deployment is to respond to the aftermath of the Maui wildfires, which are being described as the deadliest wildfire in modern U.S. history.
Another K-9 team is leaving Columbia, Missouri, Wednesday morning. It’s unclear how long this team will be in Hawaii. They are usually deployed for two weeks, but that can always change depending on what their mission has in store.
