This is an article provided to us from Pacific Medical Training. The article provides useful information and additional links to resources re how to handle injuries and illnesses that may occur in remote areas, making it a valuable resource for anyone who spends time in the great outdoors.
2021 and 2022 Land Rover Defender "Above and Beyond Service Awards" Finalists
Great Basin K-9 SAR was honored to be selected as one of only five national finalists in 2021 and one of only five finalists in all of North America in 2022 in the Search and Rescue Category for the Defender “Service Awards.” Although we did not win the prize, a Land Rover Defender, we were honored to represent and stand along side all of the professional men and women who entered and who give of their time and expertise to serve their communities.
To view the Great Basin K-9 SAR videos, please follow these links: 2021 Video and 2022 Video
The following is from the Land Rover website:
“SEARCH & RESCUE
No stranger to harrowing rescue missions in remote areas, the five finalist Search & Rescue nonprofits are truly capable of great things. They scale treacherous mountains in search of avalanche victims, train dogs and their handlers to traverse uncertain terrain in search of lost hikers and mobilize veterans to embark on off-road expeditions. These organizations embody the spirit of boldness that Land Rover champions. A new Defender could take them on their next life-saving trek.”
The Emily Quijano and Gabriel Almiron Murder Investigation
On September 8, 2015, 23-year-old Emily Quijano and her 3-year-old son, Gabriel Almiron, disappeared from Provo, Utah. The extensive and thorough investigation led to Emily’s boyfriend, Christopher Poulson, as the prime suspect. In April of 2016, seven months after Emily and Gabriel’s disappearance, Poulson’s car was tracked down by investigators. GBK9SAR’s K9 Rekker was called in to assist and sniff the car for the odor of human remains. Rekker “indicated” strongly on the trunk area three times. After additional investigation, in 2017, Poulson was located and arrested in Hawaii for the murders of Emily and Gabriel. Poulson was brought back to Utah and incarcerated pending trial, but the remains of Emily and Gabriel had still not been located. GBK9SAR teams participated on many searches, clearing vast desert areas until in September of 2019, nearly 4 years after the murder, Poulson finally confessed to investigators. Poulson admitted that he had, in fact, murdered Emily and Gabriel and transported their bodies in the trunk of his vehicle before burying them in a shallow grave in Juab County. Poulson pleaded guilty and was sentenced in September of 2019 to consecutive sentences of at least 15 years and up to life for the charge of murder, and one to 15 years on the second degree manslaughter charge.
The following video clip is from the Utah County Attorney’s Office press conference acknowledging the support and contribution of K9 Rekker and his Handler (at 17 min 35 sec) https://www.facebook.com/abc4utah/videos/468603643690194
WWII MIA 1st Lieutenant BURLEIGH CURTIS
In November of 2015, GBK9SAR Handler Sonja Nordstrom and K9 Rekker traveled to Normandy France with History Flight and contributed to the recovery of 1st Lt. Burleigh Curtis who lost his life on June 13, 1944, when he crashed in a field in Briouze, France. The following link tells “Burleigh’s Story” as compiled from memories of his family and recounts the recovery efforts by History Flight.
