Mercer County Sheriff K-9 Locates Missing Person

K9 Maverick & Mercer County Sheriff's Officer David Smithson.
K-9 Maverick & Mercer County Sheriff’s Officer David Smithson.

Maverick the Mercer County Sheriff K-9 trekked three miles to find a missing Ewing man on Labor Day.

At about 10:30 p.m. Monday night, the Ewing Police Department requested the assistance of the Mercer County Sheriff’s Office K-9 Unit to help locate a distraught male who ran away from his home in the area of Van Duyn Drive in Ewing.

K-9 Maverick, a Bloodhound, tracked the 22-year-old for more than three miles and located him in a roadside ditch, near the intersection of Washington Crossing Road and Reed Road. The search took about two hours. The dog was assisted by his handler, Mercer County Sheriff’s Officer David Smithson,  as well as officers Pat Papero and Thomas Sweeney.

The man who was found was not injured. His name is being withheld at the request of his family. He was taken to Capital Health Regional Medical Center for treatment and reunited with his family.

“The Mercer County Sheriff’s Office K-9 Unit has grown into a highly trained law enforcement unit specializing in the pursuit of missing persons, criminal searches, explosive detection, and tracking,” Sheriff Jack Kemler said. “We are pleased to have quickly located this individual and saved him from harm.”

Established in 1993, The Mercer County Sheriff’s Office K-9 Unit assists local towns and municipalities on a moment’s notice. The K-9 teams generally average more than 150 assignments per year.