The body of B.J. Brown who was missing from Stone County was discovered Wednesday morning. Hancock County Sheriff Ricky Adam said dozens and dozens of volunteers helped in the search, including Picayune resident Mike Temples and his tracking German Shepherd, Sniper.
Brown, 31, was reported missing Saturday, last seen at Muddy Joe’s Off Road and RV Park in Hancock County, Adam said.
Brown’s body was discovered Wednesday morning in a pond on the property of Muddy Joe’s, Adam said.
According to Hancock County Coroner Jim Faulk’s initial autopsy report, Brown appeared to have drowned, the sheriff said.
“Based on what we’ve learned from his initial findings, there will be no further investigation,” Adam said. “It’s a tragedy that it happened and we certainly feel for his parents, wife and children.”
One thing Adam said his department took full advantage of was the volunteers.
“When I found out he was missing Monday I knew my dog could help,” Temples said. “I felt so sorry for the family. It tugged at my heart strings and I couldn’t see sitting here.”
Temples, a former merchant marine, trained in Louisiana with German Shepherds, who are trained in explosive detection, search and rescue, drug detection and apprehension, Temples said.
He trains 13 German Shepherds and took Sniper with him to search for Brown. Along with a desire to help find Brown, Temples also knew this event would provide Sniper with some real world experience.
“There was a lot of people out there searching with dogs, horses and ATV’s,” he said. “The first day, Sniper tracked for about five miles in the woods. On the second day, Sniper showed more interest at an area around the pond. We had walked by the pond several times and my dog didn’t give a real solid hit. The spot he lingered at could have been the spot where Brown went in at.”
Temples said Sniper learned how to track quite easily.
“God gives people the talent to sing and I think God gave this dog the talent to track. He’s real good.”
Temples and Sniper left before Brown’s body was recovered, but said he felt good about helping with the search efforts.
“By no means do I think I’m the reason he was found,” Temples said. “It was a result of all them people that cared about that fellow. I’m glad to see people still care about people. I had the dog and the time. It was the human thing to do.”