The Lancaster County Coroner’s Office has established the first ever coroner office-based Mounted Response Unit in the country, consisting of three horses named Gunnr, Kismet, and Thyra. These horses will be utilized by all agencies for rescue and recovery missions, rather than crowd control or criminal apprehension. The idea for the unit was inspired by a 19-day search for a missing man named “Ty” near the Catawba River, with Ty’s parents present at the swearing-in ceremony.
The Mounted Response Unit will provide a faster means of reaching areas that people or UTVs cannot access, with the horses being trained to handle various terrains and obstacles. The unit will be 100% funded by donations, with opportunities for individuals to sponsor the horses to cover their feed, care, training, and equipment costs. The horses will undergo specialized training, including learning to navigate through fire and jump over obstacles, under the guidance of forensic criminologist Dr. Laura Pettler.
Volunteers are also being sought for the Mounted Response Unit, with the goal of expanding the capabilities of the unit and increasing its effectiveness in rescue and recovery operations. The horses, two of which are rescues, have become like family to Coroner Karla Knight-Deese, who spearheaded the initiative to establish the unit within the coroner’s office.
