Newest team acquisition: Humminbird 1198c Sonar

SDN Team members training on the sonar at Lake Bryan

Thanks to a grant from the American Kennel Club, Search Dog Network was able to purchase a Humminbird 1198c Sonar unit. The team has been training on it since its receipt in May, 2012. This unit is a side-scan sonar that allows the user to view objects under the water to the sides of the boat. Also, it tells the user the water depth, boat speed, GPS coordinate, as well as other information. Members are training on it on a regular basis to increase proficiency.

This sonar unit is an important addition to SDN missions due to the number of water recovery missions for which we’re deployed. A water recovery canine is useful for narrowing down the search area in a big lake. The sonar can narrow this larger area down to a smaller area, so divers don’t have to search such a large area. This greatly increases diver safety.

Image from the sonar