Dog suffers heat exhaustion, airlifted during search for Monrovia hiker

As a dangerous heat wave broils Southern California, a search-and-rescue dog with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department collapsed from dehydration and had to be airlifted for emergency safety measures during a search for a hiker last seen in Monrovia, authorities said Saturday.

The search-and-rescue operation, orchestrated by the sheriff’s Special Enforcement Bureau, was focused on locating 53-year-old South Pasadena resident Colin Brian Walker. Surveillance footage last captured Walker heading toward a trailhead in Monrovia around 6:23 a.m. July 15 wearing a gray shirt, dark colored shorts, brown boots and hat, and carrying a large green backpack and hiking sticks. 

Walker appeared to be prepared for a day’s trek but hasn’t been seen or heard from ever since.

As temperatures soared through the weekend, the specially trained people-finding dog that was aiding in the search effort collapsed from the oppressive heat. The dog’s condition prompted an urgent response from tactical medics with the sheriff’s department air rescue team which was dispatched to the area of Clamshell Peak, a rugged section of the national forest, that was the focal point of the search operation.

The medics’ main objective was “to airlift the canine to safety and provide cooling measures,” Special Enforcement Bureau officials said in a tweet. 

No additional updates on the dog’s condition have been published since deputies’ initial report of the airlift. LASD officials remain tight-lipped about the dog’s present condition. Their initial statement confirmed the helicopter evacuation, but no further updates have been released since.

In addition to K-9 units, the the sheriff’s department has also employed unmanned aircrafts in their search for Walker. 

Last week, South Pasadena police issued an alert about Walker’s disappearance, prompting widespread awareness and concern in the local community. 

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