FORT MYERS BEACH, Fla. — Nearly a week after Hurricane Ian made landfall off Florida's western coast, rescue crews have been scouring devastated areas looking for survivors.
Search and rescue has now become recovery with human remains detection canines.
Melissa Morgan is a sheriff's deputy from Kentucky who has volunteered her time for the emotional and arduous recovery effort with Ohio Task Force 1.
Chapel, one of the recovery dogs, is by her side assisting her in human recovery and remains detection.
"Unfortunately a lot of times people are deceased but the importance of the family it's incredible." Morgan said. "To them it's a great game of hide and seek, but they don't put a lot of baggage to the emotional side of it."
For the trainers, there is emotion Not all for themselves, but also for families who have been struggling to find out what has happened to their loved one.
Heather Ferguson from Ohio is one of those canine trainers.
"I've been around a lot of people's worst days finding human remains. It can be challenging but the rewarding side of being a human rewards handler. We can do it and there are a lot of people who can't."
Heather Ferguson handles another remains detection canine named Melvin. For both of them, the road to recovery and rescue has seen some long roads over the past few days with 12 hours shifts becoming the norm.
Melvin's skills are specific to destruction like Hurricane Ian's according to Ferguson, "Melvin's specialty is rubble and we get to places other people can't and we go through collapsed houses. We can recover that person for them that they can have a proper burial and that's what we do."
A somber reminder of the fragility of life. But for many grieving the loss of a loved one, they will have the opportunity to say a proper goodbye because of the work of these incredible canines and handlers who go into each day knowing that finding what they're looking for is much more than adding another number to the death toll.
More Hurricane Ian Coverage on WKYC.com: