Mercy Search and Rescue aids in search for missing hunters

Among the many people on and around the Mississippi River Sunday was Brandi Brignac, owner of Mercy Search and Rescue.

Brignac and her Dutch Shepherd, Mercy, traveled to Vicksburg from St. Amant, Louisiana, earlier in the week to offer their assistance in the continuing search for missing hunters Gunner Palmer and Zeb Hughes.  Saturday, they were joined by Brignac’s daughter, Keeli, and her Belgian Malinois, Kash.

Brandi Brignac with Mercy, searching the river for signs of the missing hunters (photo courtesy of Mercy Search and Rescue).

“Working with K-9’s to help find missing people is a calling,” Brignac said.

Brignac discovered this calling and found her way into public service following the heavy flooding in South Louisiana in 2016.

Mercy and Brandi (photo courtesy of Mercy Search and Rescue)

Brignac’s dogs are dual purpose in that they can track living humans or locate cadavers. Mercy and Brignac’s other dogs train daily for the calls that will inevitably come. Brignac has four other K-9s coming up, three of which are due to be certified next weekend.

Mercy is 1-and-a-half years old and has numerous finds and recoveries to her credit. Brignac said the dogs become depressed when they are unsuccessful in finding their target, so they have returned home for a couple of days to allow the dogs to decompress.

Kash, a Belgian Malinois, also joined the search for the missing hunters Saturday (photo courtesy of Mercy Search and Rescue).

Brignac wanted to thank the Warren County Sheriff’s Office, the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks along with the community for their hospitality.

She said she and the dogs will definitely return to Vicksburg if they are needed. “I really hope we can bring closure to these families,” she said.

Mercy Search and Rescue is a 501C-3 non-profit business and is self-funded. For more information, please visit mercysar.org.