On horseback and with dogs, neighbors come to the rescue after Texas floods

(AFP) With the sun beating down, and Ranger's gallop rustles the brush as he climbs a hill near the Guadalupe River in Texas. On horseback, a group of neighbors scour its banks for flood victims who have already left more than 100 dead.

Michael Duncan, 55, owns Ranger, a dark brown horse who is supporting the work of hundreds of rescuers still patrolling the banks of the Guadalupe, in central Texas.

This Monday, rescuers in boats, supported by divers and probes, searched for bodies in front of the Camp Mystic summer camp, where 27 girls died after being swept away by the flood. Another group was collecting the girls' belongings, such as suitcases, bedspreads, trunks and toys, which were left in the cabins that the water invaded, whose walls are covered with mud marks that easily exceed five feet high.

In parallel, some 30 volunteers on horseback, several of them protected from the sun with their cowboy hats, also joined the mounted police who came from Austin, the capital of Texas, to support the rescue work in the cities of Center Point, Kerrville, Ingram and Hunt, all located along the river in Kerr County.

The horses easily climb the hills and smoothly negotiate the brush and debris left in plain sight once the river water receded back into the riverbed.

"Versus going on foot, we can gain more ground and reach areas that people don't get to as easily. Obviously, with him, I have a height advantage, and we can see between things that are stacked up," Duncan weighs in.

Teams of volunteer rescuers are also arriving on foot. As they ride along, they smell a foul odor coming from the brush and debris. It could be from dead animals, like the fish that the river overflowed, but it could also be the sign of a tragedy.

They dig in the dirt accumulated near the trees. One of them pokes at the mounds of earth with a pointed stick, looking for any clue that might give away the presence of a corpse. As they search, they find some swimming goggles belonging to a child and a soccer ball.

"Emotional debt"

To help them in their work, they contact Tom Olson, 55, a rescue dog trainer and owner of Abby, a dog who has already helped successfully locate two victims.

In this case, Abby, an 8-year-old Belgian Malinois shepherd, gave no signal. Olson likens her talent on this mission to "a useful tool, like underwater sonar, drones, aircraft."

"Everything has its place, and so does the dog. The dog will be able to quickly find a possible victim, it will be easier to locate it with him, and we will be able to do it faster, reducing the risk for those involved in the search and rescue," he explains.

In addition, he believes it's a way to expose rescuers less and quicken relief to families who still can't find their loved ones.

"All these rescuers here are exposed to certain risks, such as a snake bite. The sooner we can find the victims of this disaster, the sooner we can bring closure to the affected families and relief to the rescuers," he maintains.

For Olson, the work involves "a mental, emotional debt."

Meanwhile in Hunt, crews from an electric company with trucks are restoring power poles and wires destroyed by the floods.

The week begins and cars fill the streets. Although there are still very affected areas, the city is slowly recovering its daily life, while the Guadalupe River is also recovering its course.

From his muddy riverbank, Duncan confesses to feeling "a lot of sadness" on his horseback rides. "But it's also great to see how many people get out and work, and almost all of them do this for free, like volunteering. That's pretty inspiring to see."