Florida Police Deploy Trained Otter in Missing Person Search

When police in Pensacola, Florida, needed help searching for a missing woman, they called in reinforcements with webbed feet and whiskers.

Splash, a two-year-old Asian small-clawed otter, arrived at the Mahogany Mill boat ramp Tuesday ready to work. The woman hadn't been seen since Friday, and investigators received a tip that she might be in the water.

But this story has a happy ending. Authorities found the woman safe in a different area Monday, so Splash never had to get wet.

What makes Splash remarkable isn't just his adorable appearance. He's the only otter in the world trained to detect human remains underwater, a task that stumps even the best search dogs.

Officer Mike Wood of the Pensacola Police Department explained how Splash's unique abilities work. The otter dives down, releases bubbles, then chomps on those bubbles as they rise to taste the scent in the water and pinpoint exactly where it's coming from.

"He's able to show dive teams exactly where that odor's coming from, something dogs are simply not able to do," Wood said.

Peace River Search and Rescue, a nonprofit based in southwest Florida, brought Splash to Pensacola alongside a German Shepherd also trained for detection work. The dog searched first from a boat but didn't alert, so Splash remained on standby.

Michael Hadsell, Splash's trainer and president of Peace River Search and Rescue, said the idea came from wanting better tools for recovery efforts. Since his training began, Splash has participated in more than 20 missions and successfully located six targets.

Sunny's Take

The demand for Splash's services keeps growing. The organization gets daily requests and is considering training more otters next year to help meet the need.

Here's what makes this even better: Splash works entirely for free. Peace River Search and Rescue relies on donations so any agency can access this one-of-a-kind resource without worrying about cost.

While Splash didn't need to search this time, his readiness to help shows how creative thinking can solve real problems and bring hope to families in crisis.