On Saturday, a dog team left for the German town of Dernau in the Ahr Valley, where floods caused enormous devastation two weeks ago and claimed many lives. REDOG, the Swiss Association for Search and Rescue Dogs, said the team will search for missing persons in cooperation with German dog teams.
“It is important to be there and to support the relatives,” said Linda Hornisberger, head of the REDOG search team. The goal is to find the bodies of the victims so that their relatives can say goodbye to their loved ones, according to a REDOG statement.
Four dog handlers and their dogs, as well as two logistics specialists make up the Swiss contingent. They have been on standby since the beginning of the bad weather in Germany. The deployment of the Swiss team will last several days, according to spokesperson Dagmar Wurzbacher. Cadaver search dogs are used after natural disasters such as earthquakes, landslides or building collapses.
REDOG is also the rescue organisation of the Red Cross and finances interventions from its own funds raised through the support of donors.
Swiss authorities announce cost-cutting in asylum sector
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The government notably wants to improve integration into the labour force, particularly for people with protection status S.
Various leaders confirm participation at Ukraine peace conference
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The presidents of Poland, Finland, and Latvia and the prime ministers of Spain and Belgium will be at the Swiss-hosted talks in mid-June.
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In the winter season up to April 2024, railway and cable car operators ferried 3% more visitors compared to the previous winter, and 5% more than the five-year average.
Rhine flooding: Swiss to invest CHF1 billion with Austria
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As part of an international agreement with Austria, the Swiss government wants to pump CHF1 billion ($1.1 billion) into flood protection measures along the Rhine over the next three decades.
Swiss government proposes CHF10 million UNRWA donation
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After months of debate, Switzerland plans to give CHF10 million ($11 million) to the UN agency this year, rather than the CHF20 million initially foreseen.
Swiss study: insects mainly migrate at midday and dusk
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A study led by the Swiss Ornithological Institute in canton Lucerne is helping to better understand the movement patterns of migratory insects.
Red Cross: 22 staff killed in Middle East since October
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The Red Cross and Red Crescent network in Gaza and Israel has lost 22 staff members since last October, the Swiss Red Cross (SRC) said on Wednesday.
Dortmund’s Kobel is first Swiss goalie in Champions League final
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Borussia Dortmund’s Gregor Kobel has achieved history by becoming the first Swiss goalkeeper to reach a Champion’s League final.
University students in Switzerland join Gaza protest wave
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Pro-Palestinian activists occupied university buildings in Lausanne, Geneva and Zurich on Tuesday, widening the protest movement in the Alpine nation.
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Rescue dogs team up with drones to save lives
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The drones will be equipped with night vision and thermal cameras to spot people in distress. The dog handlers and dogs will then be directed to the spot to rescue those in need. “We have already tested the dog-drone combination during our last three operations and we are now ready,” Romaine Kuonen, president of Redog,…
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Vali Meier skis off down the slope with canine colleague Woopy on his shoulders. Woopy is part of a long tradition of Swiss avalanche dogs.
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Dogs are also being trained this way in other countries. In Germany, tests have found that they can perform this task with a 94% success rate. This is because Covid-19 causes human body cells to change their odour. The Geneva University Hospitals (HUG) group has started its own trial programme, reports the Tages Anzeiger newspaperExternal link.…
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If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.