A COUNTY tourist delivering a sniffer dog to America got swept up in a real-life emergency when one of the worst tornadoes in years hit Tennessee.

John Bellison of Eardisland was visiting his friend, Eddie Apple, a search and rescue volunteer in Memphis, when more than 200 tornadoes ripped through the state on May 4 killing 50 people.

The two were immediately called to one of the affected towns, Denmark, to help trace missing people in the destruction zone.

Mr Bellison, a regional agent for a game feeding company, said: "Your reaction is just total disbelief, we have nothing like it in this country.

"The tornado had cleared a path 300 metres wide and one mile long through the town. There was nothing standing."

John and Eddie spent the day with two dogs, Gus, a trained search and rescue animal and Sean, fresh out from Herefordshire, searching for victims of the storm.

Hours after arriving, they found three bodies, half a family whose house had been ripped open by the twister.

John said: "The dogs found the wife of the household straight away and then alerted us to human remains in a lake."

Reality

With the tangled debris of the storm clogging up the lake it was impossible to send in divers so the water was drained revealing the bodies of the two other missing people.

Though the rescuers hoped to find people alive, death is often the reality they are faced with.

Two years ago, Eddie was called in to help in the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Sifting through the rubble of the Pentagon with his dog Gus he found the remains of more than 30 people.

John said: "It is not pleasant but I think Eddie is used to it. He has been doing it for eight or nine years."

In Tennessee, with the three missing people accounted for, Eddie and John suddenly found themselves faced with another problem.

John said: "The sky was black as hell, there was a dreadful humidity and we were told there was another tornado coming.

"Everyone just ran into the local school and waited for it to pass."

Luckily, this time the school was spared and the rescuers, supported by the local population, could carry on the clean- up operation.

John said: "The amazing thing is how they rally round. The local population was excellent bringing us food, drinks and clothing."

For the rest of his holiday John, Eddie and the two dogs were able to take in some turkey shooting, the reason for the holiday.