A FIRE and Rescue Service Department sniffer dog named Daisy took only 15 minutes to find a missing elderly woman after a search party made up of more than 50 people could not locate her for more than 24 hours.

The department said Daisy was deployed to join in the search for the 75-year-old woman from Rumah Panjang Rokayah Anak Wilson Dunggau at Melanjan, Spak Layar, Betong at 3pm today and by 3.15pm the dog led a search and rescue (SAR) party to a her, a mere 300m from the SAR control post.

Betong is some 140km from Kuching and Daisy from the K9 unit based in Serian with her handler Dominic Bahong, had to travel by road to the rural market town – a journey that on average takes about four hours.

The elderly woman, whom the department identified as Singar Dunggou, was found conscious but “in a weak state”.

She was sent to the Betong hospital for medical treatment and to recover from her ordeal.

Singar was reported missing yesterday and the residents of the longhouse had conducted an initial search at the spot she was last seen – the bridge over Sungai Pengerit.

Some 40 residents reportedly searched 1.5km upriver and downriver from the bridge, scouring both banks.

When they could not find her, they requested the assistance of the department’s SAR expertise.

The police and the Civil Defence Department also joined in the search.

Singar was found sitting in tall grass on the side of a knoll in a hilly section of the riverbank. – August 4, 2022.