A county in South Carolina has created what it thinks is the first coroner’s mounted unit in the United States that will be used in search-and-rescue missions. It is comprised of three horses – Thyra, Gunnr and Kismet – owned by volunteer Dr. Laura Pettler, an equestrian, forensic specialist and media personality who has her own investigation company and produces the podcast The Murder Room. “This is the culmination of both my passions rolled into one: horses and helping people,” she said.

The idea was inspired after the death of a Lancaster County man in 2024 who jumped off a bridge into a river. The coroner’s office realized that despite the use of dogs and drones to locate missing or deceased people, horses can traverse areas unreachable by vehicles and therefore reach victims of accidents or foul play much faster.

“Every department we work with has drones, and they’re incredibly helpful,” Lancaster County Coroner Kayla Deese tells the Post and Courier.  “But what happens when your drone spots something very remotely? How do we get there?”

The Lancaster County Coroner’s Office Mounted Response Unit was sworn in on January 11. The unit will be made available to all agencies in the county. The horses are not funded by taxpayers; instead, fundraising and donations will ensure the mounted unit gets everything it needs. Volunteers are also on hand to help future search-and-rescue operations.