Rappelling Harness Saves K9 from Danger in Western North Carolina

When disaster strikes, heroes answer the call. After Hurricane Helene tore through Western North Carolina, community members faced a daunting task: search and recovery. Except now, much of the area was inaccessible due to flooding and the destruction of their once beautiful and familiar landscape.

Navigating Helene’s devastation required specialized skills and life-saving gear for the volunteers and K9s involved. But when one handler needed it the most, his K9’s old harness broke, leaving him vulnerable.

Enter Modern Icon. With technical rope rescue skills and our Rappelling Harness, we got the K9 and Handler ready to keep going — safely.

Hurricane Helene’s Damage

On Thursday, September 26, 2024, Hurricane Helene swept through the United States. Helene was a massive Category 4 hurricane that left a trail of destruction in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Tennessee.

Western North Carolina felt the brunt of the storm due to the mountainous terrain and record amounts of rainfall. The floods and landslides washed away homes, roads, bridges, and even entire towns. Two weeks afterward, thousands remained missing.

Search and rescue teams shifted their focus to looking for human remains in the aftermath which was an overwhelming task. Working K9s trained in detection were on duty—tirelessly scouring the wreckage to direct dig teams and bring families who lost loved ones in the devastation closure. 

Thursday: A Call for Help

Modern Icon’s founder, Lee, got a call from a friend working with Savage Freedoms Relief Operation. Their top handler needed a new harness for his K9 — urgently. Lee grabbed an extra Rappelling Harness that he happened to have on hand and set out for Asheville the next morning.

“I loaded up with my gear, grabbed a Rappelling Harness we had on hand, and left before dawn,” Lee recalls. “When I got to Asheville, I fit K9 Maverick with his new harness and gifted his handler a Tracking Lead to match.”

Friday: Delivering the Gear

Lee arrived at the Savage Freedoms Relief Operation’s HQ before sunrise. He ensured Maverick’s new Rappelling Harness was snug, reviewed its features with the handler, and went along for the search. That day, the team navigated wreckage and debris that had piled up along riverbanks and throughout devastated neighborhoods.

Saturday: Maverick’s Close Call

Lee helped rig technical rope systems using his experience with Element Rescue™️. This allowed the team to access debris piles that were over two stories high. Alongside “Chainsaw Chuck” (an expert in his craft) and a member of the 101st, they cleared obstacles in the Swannanoa River where several cadaver dogs had multiple hits, but weren’t able to make access.

While ground searching, Maverick had a close call. The dried sandbank beneath him gave way, but his new Rappelling Harness held him secure. His handler was able to arrest Maverick’s fall and pull him to safety, avoiding what could have been a 15-foot drop onto collapsed asphalt.

“The Rappelling Harness quite literally saved Maverick from a serious injury—or worse,” his handler shared. “You’ve already made a meaningful impact on our lives with this incredible gear.”

Support of Ongoing Recovery Efforts

Because of our K9 Rappelling Harness, Maverick was able to continue his mission identifying even more sites that led to the finding of human remains helping families of the missing find closure and making it so they were able to lay their loved ones to rest. Lee was fortunate enough to be present when one of the relatives of the lost met K9 Maverick and his handler in person to thank them for finding the remains of their loved one allowing their family to lay a surviving infant’s deceased parents to rest side by side.

“This was the most humbling experience I’ve had in years,” Lee shared. “As someone who’s spent decades guiding people in these mountains, seeing this destruction firsthand was beyond words.”

Helping the Relief Effort

The need for recovery in Western North Carolina is monumental. The teams on the ground are still working around the clock to aid in recovery. To support recovery efforts, we recommend donating to Savage Freedoms Relief Operations. They’re doing incredible work in the Blue Ridge Mountains, and we can personally vouch for the impact they’re making.

To everyone who lost so much — and to those still pushing through — you’re in our thoughts and prayers.

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