Farewell, Cliff — Bomba Sarawak’s heroic tracker dog succumbs to battle with bladder tumour

File photo of tracker dog Cliff during training.

KUCHING, Dec 26: Cliff, the heroic tracker dog who dutifully served the Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba) Sarawak since 2018, has sadly passed away due to a bladder tumour.

This was disclosed by Bomba Sarawak director Datu Khiruddin Drahman on the Department’s official social media page yesterday (Dec 25), accompanied by a poignant farewell message, ‘Goodbye Cliff’.

“The loss of Cliff was deeply felt by all officers and members of the Department, particularly those in Bomba Sarawak.

“Thank you for your dedicated service, Cliff,” the post read.

Cliff, the specially trained search and rescue dog, is led by his Bomba handlers during an operation on March 16, 2022.

Hailing from the United Kingdom, the English Springer Spaniel was born in January 2016 and specialised in cadaver detection.

Cliff was pivotal in numerous search and rescue (SAR) operations across Sarawak, serving with the Bomba Sarawak’s K9 Detection Unit based in the Serian Station.

Guided by his handler, Steven Ambu, Cliff actively participated in various operations, including responding to the City One Mall explosion, searching for five-year-old Eric Chang who went missing under his babysitter’s care at Taman Riverview in Bintawa, and aiding in the search for a missing 64-year-old fisherman in Telaga Air, among others.

Search dog Cliff from the Bomba K9 unit was deployed to aid a SAR operation on April 19, 2020.

Cliff’s legacy as a dedicated and skilled search and rescue dog will be remembered with deep respect and gratitude by all who had the privilege of working alongside him. — DayakDaily

Petra Jaya station chief Azie Kaya with Cliff during the SAR operation.