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Story and photo by Suzanne Nielsen and reprinted with permission of the
Daily Herald.
January 27, 2007
After giving their best effort at finding missing American hiker Joel Gove, the Canine search team is planning to leave the island today, Saturday. No human remains have been found.
Gove went missing during a hike along the island's extensive trail system on December 28th, and has not been heard from since. Friends and relatives hired Merrill's Investigations and Security of Readfield, Maine, to put together a dog search team to find Gove since he was last seen on the island's extensive hiking trail network.
Early Friday, Maine Game Warden Wayde Carter with his German Shepherd K-9 Buddy and Sgt. Roger Guay with Chocolate Lab K-9 Radar joined Saba Train Manager James Johnson, Saba Conservation Foundation Head Jan den Dulk, and volunteer Michael Chammaa, in the last search. Daybreak is an optimal time of day for the dogs to pick up scent traces of human remains.
The group took the North Coast trailhead in Hell's Gate to return to a particular ravine, known locally as a gut, in which the dogs have shown great interest in the last few days. Varying wind currents make it extremely difficult to pinpoint the exact location of the body. There is no doubt that the animals smelled human remains, but it is impossible to tell from the dogs' reaction how old the scent might be. No other evidence such as a discarded backpack or article of clothing was found.
Trail Manager Johnson said that the group followed the deep gut, which is upslope from the trail, for more than 15 minutes, until the situation became unsafe for dogs and handlers. The soil in the area is very rocky and loose, with an almost vertical cliff at the head of the ravine. Johnson said that it was evident that rocks had recently fallen from the unstable aggregate that is characteristic of this volcanic island, making it dangerous to proceed. Later in the afternoon, a helicopter flew over the area, but nothing was sited.
Chief of Police Lt. Governor Sydney Sorton debriefed with the investigators late Friday afternoon. As soon as he receives Johnson's report and has updated his authorities, Sorton said that the next steps in the case would be formulated. "I cannot speak about closure, this is not closed," affirmed Sorton.
Photo: Maine Game Warden Wayde Carter and K-9 Buddy prepare for the last search, as Trail Manager James Johnson (right) gives a final briefing.
Click here for a larger version of the photo.
 Back to community news page.
Story and photograph © Suzanne Nielsen, 2007.
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