Making a Difference

About Jane De Boise 

In 2012 I joined Surrey Fire & Rescue Service. After nine years as an operational firefighter, I was medically discharged following an injury, meaning I was no longer able to perform the duties I loved. I moved into an office-based role as a Water Safety Officer, advising councils on drowning prevention and designing and installing emergency throwlines along the Surrey stretch of the River Thames, an initiative that has now been adopted nationwide. During this time, my research made me aware of the little-known abilities of a Drowned Victim Search dog. Having seen first hand the moment a person enters the water, the desperate search, and finally the recovery of the body, I knew I wanted to continue in this area of work. If more tragic lives cannot be saved in our waters, I want to devote my efforts to easing the pain and suffering of families by reuniting them with their loved ones.

In 2022, I was privileged to be offered a Springer Spaniel puppy, offspring of KC Gundog Crickmay Secret of Wisternox. I could tell immediately that this pup, who I would go on to call Nessie, would make a formidable search dog, and at 15 months old she became one of the youngest dogs to qualify in this specialist field.

Using my own finances, Nessie and I trained as a team in North Wales to Level 3 Victim (Water Submerged) Cadaver Detection Dog criteria. Following rigorous assessments covering hundreds of hours of training, where dogs must learn to tell apart all the scents related to decades of decomposition, we now support police forces, search and rescue organisations and families across the UK.

My other credentials include:

* First and foremost- Mother to my beautiful daughter, who is my inspiration

* Surrey Fire & Rescue Service 2012- 2021- Firefighter, specialising in Drowning Prevention and Victim Recovery 

* Immediate Emergency Care Instructor- Surrey Fire & Rescue Service

* Bronze NNAS Trained (Navigation)

* DEFRA Mod 2 Water Rescue

* Level3 PETbc Diploma in Canine Psychology with Distinction, & Dog Law Certificate
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The next generation-

Pixie is my young English Springer Spaniel and Nessie's daughter. Her sire, Bertie, is a land cadaver search dog, so she comes from proven working lines on both sides. At just over a year old, she's fully trained for bank searches and is now working towards boat searches. She's the next step in growing the team and extending our reach across the UK

Reuniting families with their loved ones

In Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, a DVSD team is a standard part of the recovery effort for people presumed drowned. In England, where far more people die in water, search dogs are still a last resort rather than a first response.

Our dogs detect the scent of human decomposition underwater with a 95% success rate, locating it to within 10 m². That precision saves time, resources and cost compared with traditional large-area searches, lets dive teams focus on a much smaller area, and spares bereaved families days or weeks of waiting to be reunited with their loved ones.

Around 438 people a year in England drown accidentally or take their own lives (WAID), which points to a clear unmet need for a locally based DVSD team. Based in the South of England, I can reach some of the UK's most populated regions, where water-related deaths are highest, at short notice.

I'm ambitious and determined to make a real difference to the families of drowned victims. I bring the same tenacity and work ethic that won me a place as one of only 6.7% of female firefighters in the UK.