Sheriff's K9 Officer Helps Locate 12-Year-Old Girl Who Went Missing During Tropical Storm Elsa

Lee County Sheriff's Office/ Facebook

A Florida sheriff's canine helped reunite a girl with her family after she went missing during Tropical Storm Elsa.

The 12-year-old girl was reported missing Tuesday night in Lee County, according to the sheriff's department.

Sheriff Carmine Marceno deployed his ReUnite program — a search and rescue operation for at-risk individuals — and, along with it, a K9 Officer named Mercy.

Despite inclement weather due to the tropical storm, Mercy was able to track the girl "for more than half a mile through thick woods," the sheriff's department said.

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"Thankfully, Mercy found her and brought her safely back home to her family."

Hundreds of people flooded the comments section of the sheriff's Facebook post about the rescue, praising Mercy for a job well done.

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"You deserve a lot of treats for working so hard," one commenter wrote.

Another said: "You're an awesome K-9 Police Officer Mercy! Thank you for your service. Great job!"

Mercy is a scent-discriminate bloodhound. She graduated from training with her human partner in July 2020, according to the Fort Meyers News-Press.