Dogs enhance beach safety with innovative rescue techniques in Spain and Finland

Popular swimming beaches in holiday destinations are facing safety challenges, prompting innovative solutions. Along the Levante coast in southern Spain, near Malaga, there is an initiative utilizing dogs for rescue operations. In August, Labrador Retrievers and Newfoundland dogs practiced their lifesaving skills at a busy beach. Training these dogs proves valuable, as they often outshine humans in various aspects of rescue work. For instance, their speed and endurance surpass that of many people. Newfoundland dogs, specifically, can swim three nautical miles (5.6 kilometers) and pull rescue boats weighing up to three tons. Their keen sense of smell also helps them locate missing persons.

“They can detect currents in the sea that humans cannot perceive,” explains dog trainer Miguel Sanchez to Reuters at the Levante coast.

In Finland, dogs also play a crucial role in maritime rescue, although their functions differ slightly from those in Spain, according to Anssi Somppi from the Turku Coast Guard. The dogs used in Finland serve as multifunctional agents, with maritime rescue being just one part of their diverse responsibilities. They are extensively involved in border control tasks as well. Unlike their Spanish counterparts, Finnish rescue dogs do not swim in the water.

“Rescue operations here occur from boats and vessels,” Somppi notes. The primary tool for these dogs is their sense of smell, assisting in the search for missing persons, deceased individuals, and illegal drugs.