OGDEN, Utah — Twenty-five years ago, Ogden resident Nancy Hachmeister and her search dog, Ivey, were part of Utah Task Force 1, deployed to New York City following the September 11 terror attacks. They spent seven days at Ground Zero, contributing to the recovery efforts and helping to locate victims amidst the rubble.
Hachmeister, who has trained and been a handler for search dogs for 44 years, described their work during the night shift. She noted that while Ivey did not always make an explicit indication on human remains, Hachmeister could interpret her dog's body language and changes in behavior, which led to the discovery of numerous bodies. This work, though heartbreaking, was crucial for providing closure to the families whose lives were forever altered by the attacks.
Her dedication to helping families find lost loved ones stems from a personal tragedy. Hachmeister shared that her own father was killed and missing for 33 days in 1979. This experience shaped her mission, reinforcing her belief in the importance of finding bodies to bring closure.
Hachmeister's non-profit organization, Utah Search Dogs, was founded in 2008. Through this work, she has traveled across the country, assisting with rescue and recovery operations and locating missing people or remains.
Reflecting on the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, Hachmeister remembered the national unity and people coming together. Despite being called heroes by many, she emphasized that the true heroes were the firefighters who entered the collapsing buildings to attempt rescues. "They all would say, ‘oh, you’re such a hero,’ calling us heroes, we weren’t the heroes,” Hachmeister said, noting that "It was those firemen that went into the building to try to rescue people, those were the real heroes.”
The arduous conditions at Ground Zero had tragic long-term consequences. Hachmeister recounted that Ivey passed away a few years after their deployment. She also shared that all four search dogs who went to New York, including Ivey, died of cancer. Additionally, several people on the task force have since died from cancer related to their exposure during the recovery efforts.
Hachmeister hopes to continue her work, assisting families in locating their loved ones. She also aims to embody the spirit of unity and kindness that emerged in the days following the attacks, stating, "If everyone could be as nice as we were on September 12.” Her long career exemplifies a deep commitment to service and compassion in the face of profound loss.
