Lone Target (2014) s01e04 Episode Script
Race To The Bridge
1 Narrator: Almost every country has a specialized military tracking unit [ All grunt .]
trained to capture terrorists [ Indistinct shouting .]
guard borders [ Dog barking .]
and hunt criminals.
Stand back! and now they're about to face one of their toughest targets Joel lambert.
Let's go.
Come on.
Narrator: A former Navy seal and expert in escape and evasion All right.
Come back.
Joel's mission is to put them to the test They're not prepared for this.
This is my turf.
Narrator: And evade capture for 36 hours.
Quitting is never an option.
I'm gonna die before I quit.
This time, Joel challenges Poland's elite border guard -- the straz graniczna.
I can see he's smart.
He's good.
I think we are better.
Narrator: They must track, hunt, and capture Joel before he crosses 15½ Miles of Polish countryside and reaches his extraction point.
The hunt is on.
-- Captions by vitac -- captions paid for by discovery communications got to move quick.
Narrator: The Polish border guard has been told that Joel and his crew will be breaching tonight somewhere within 2½ Miles of this border station.
Everything from here travels north into Poland.
Even though there aren't any fences, the only legal way to cross into Poland is through a checkpoint, which I am clearly not doing.
Narrator: The border guard doesn't know Joel's extraction point and must use their assets and tracking skills to capture him before he escapes.
[ Siren wails .]
Lambert: I have to assume that I've been spotted and that they're mobilizing their tracking units.
But that is gonna take time.
I'm moving fast and light.
I have a blade, I have a tomahawk, I've got some food and some water and some thermal insulation just in case it's really, really bad.
It's time to put on some speed and get some distance between what I'm sure are the canine units on my trail and where I need to be.
Narrator: Joel has moved 3/4 of a mile from his entry point on the border.
His objective is to travel an additional 15½ Miles and cross over the bridge at the city of rajskie, his extraction point, all in just 36 hours.
The border crossing took place somewhere here.
Narrator: The straz graniczna is Western Europe's first line of defense against smuggling and human trafficking.
The situation is very changeable, so we have to moderate it according to the reports of the patrol.
Narrator: Leading the charge is 17-year veteran major jerzy ostrowski.
He mobilizes all available assets, including 50 patrol officers, motorcycles, atvs, horses, and a k-9 unit.
Let's go! Let's go! With the border patrol's reputation on the line, he focuses all of his assets on finding Joel.
So, have a little bit of time, so I'm laying a deception trail through this nice, high grass, showing these guys a direction that I don't really want to go.
If I can get them to follow this false trail, they are gonna waste a lot of time, and I'm gonna gain a lot of distance.
I'm dragging my feet to create a lot of pointers and a lot of vegetation, indicating the way I want them to think that I am going.
Here we go.
I want them to know right off this isn't gonna be easy.
Narrator: Joel's already gained a two-hour head start, as it's taken time for the border guard to deploy their assets.
[ Speaking in Polish .]
The straz graniczna deploys captain marcin lisowski, a shrewd veteran tracker, and his elite unit to start where the thermal-imaging team saw Joel cross the border.
We are going to check from this place up to the wood.
Narrator: Marcin's expertise of this region makes him a serious threat to Joel.
You have to take it easy -- very, very slowly.
Look through every little piece of land -- something was slightly bent, slightly moved, that's how you see that somebody has passed this way.
Narrator: They're looking for Joel's spoor, which is the definitive sign of Joel's direction of travel.
This can include footprints or broken foliage.
[ Speaking in Polish .]
See the branch here? Up that trail.
Yeah.
It smacked against this tree.
Somebody's passing could just bends this branch and it stays like this -- in this position, right? So, now you can find out that somebody was passing here.
But not a long time ago, because the wind will just turn it back.
Come on, let's go.
[ Breathing heavily .]
So, I got a little gully here with some concealment and some shrubs growing up.
I'm gonna use that to cover my tracks as I move to the wood line.
The situation dictates how I'm gonna move.
If I've got good concealment, I'm gonna move as quick as I possibly can.
Now we've got some cover, some concealment, we're gonna move.
Narrator: Joel's spoor has led the border guard to a well-traveled field.
This is a very bad area for tracking somebody.
Many, many tracks, like from people who come here on motorcycles, bicycles, on foot.
Because of this heavily trafficked area, they call in a special asset -- their highly trained tracking dog Denzel.
A good dog is, really, a good invention.
With that dog, we have just detained like 500 people.
Narrator: Tracking dogs often just track the scent of broken foliage, but Denzel has been specially trained to also pick up the human scent left behind.
The straz graniczna have Denzel search the grass, trying to pickup the freshest trail.
We're gonna check this meadow here.
We want the dog to pick up the scent, and then our tracking will be much easier.
He can do it.
I believe in him.
All right.
Let's talk a little strategy.
Up here to the northeast, I have the Ukrainian border.
Down here to my southwest, this is basically impassible forest.
It's too thick for me to move through.
So, that's gonna make it very easy for the straz graniczna to get assets in front of me and box me in.
So, not only do I have to be aware of what's behind me, but what they may have gotten in front of me.
There are a lot of small, forested areas and large, open meadows, which means I got to move fast.
But I got to move very carefully to avoid being seen.
All right.
Let's go.
Narrator: After 30 minutes, Denzel finally has Joel's scent.
Unfortunately, it's Joel's deception trail.
The target is, like, making circles and stuff.
So, they keep chasing him, the dog gets confused.
The dog is not a computer.
So, if you run like this, this way and another, the dog is getting stupid.
The terrain here in Poland is beautiful.
It actually reminds me a lot of where I grew up -- the pacific northwest.
It's really lush, it's really wet, and it's really, really green.
I feel right at home.
Got a big, open, exposed area.
Can't cross that, so I've got to find a way around it.
So, we're gonna find some concealment that we can move through.
It's gonna take a longer route to get where we need to go, but it's not gonna expose us, and that's what we need.
Come on.
Let's go.
Andre, have you found something? Lisowski: He has found some tracks on this little stream bank.
Yes? [ Speaking in Polish .]
He got it! Yes! Narrator: The border guard is back on Joel's trail, but they've lost another hour.
Lambert: I've got the first signs of habitation.
It's a structure right up there.
I can see a structure right up there through the wood line.
It appears to be some sort of a hunter's cabin.
As far as I can tell, it looks At least not occupied right now.
I want to go have a look and see if there's anything in there I can use.
I had to get a better look at it.
Give me that little camera.
[ Dog barks in distance .]
[ Barking continues .]
Get down! Get down! Narrator: Former Navy seal Joel lambert is being hunted by Poland's elite border guard, the straz graniczna Got it! Yes! Narrator: And they're closing in.
[ Dog barks in distance .]
[ Barking continues .]
Lambert: It's been 10 minutes.
I haven't heard any cars or people.
[ Barking continues .]
The dog's giving me an idea.
Come on.
Let's go.
[ Speaking in Polish .]
Okay.
This is too much.
Have a look here.
You can see clearly, yeah, a footprint.
Good.
Still, we are following the tracks, but we're still As the k-9 unit pushes forward, commander jerzy ostrowski alters his tactics to try and box Joel in.
The northern area are here.
It's too difficult for us at this moment.
We have to stop him earlier.
Somewhere here.
We will make a choke point.
Observation, checkpoints on the road, and mobile patrols.
Just to be successful in stopping him here.
Take a look and see if there's anything we can use, and we're gonna get out of here pretty quick.
In my experience, it always pays to be on the lookout for anything useful.
This cabin could have a lot to offer.
[ Dog whines .]
And I think I just found it.
Narrator: Joel is now three Miles north of his entry point.
Marcin and his k-9 unit are 3/4 of a mile behind him, but up ahead, the straz graniczna mobilized their choke point with motorcycles, atvs, and horses.
Andre, he may be inside, okay? [ Speaking in Polish .]
[Bleep.]
He's not here.
[Bleep.]
So, we're about a kilometer away from the cabin.
They have dogs on my scent, I'm gonna use a dog to throw them off.
I've got an old tourniquet here, I'm gonna get my scent all over it.
I'm gonna set this pup loose.
Good puppy.
Good puppy.
Go, go! [ Chuckles .]
He's heading exactly the way I need him to go.
The bandana may look better on me, but it smells better on him.
Narrator: With the farm dog spreading Joel's scent randomly through the woods, Joel heads north, still unaware that the straz graniczna have set up a trap only 1 1/4 mile ahead.
[ Speaking in Polish .]
Lisowski: He may be very close.
Be careful, guys.
Narrator: With frustration mounting, the k-9 unit searches for which direction Joel left the cabin.
[ Speaking in Polish .]
[ Dog barking .]
Go! Go! Go! Let's go! Go! Finally, Denzel is back on Joel's scent.
Go, go.
But unfortunately, it's from the bandana Joel tied to the farm dog.
Come, come, come.
Look at this.
Come look at this.
What's this? Okay, Andre.
Let's find some tracks here.
I think he can't fly.
Can he? [Bleep.]
Again, we have some problems.
We cannot find the tracks.
I think he's very good, but he's starting to piss me off, really.
Narrator: Marcin's team must backtrack to Joel's last known spoor, at the cabin, to find his real trail.
Joel has beaten the k-9 unit and now moved a half-mile further north, still unaware of the choke point ahead.
Because we're laying all these little tricks, they've got to figure out every one.
It can be very, very frustrating.
And that's what I've got to do, is get inside their head and beat them mentally, make them work mentally as hard or harder than they're working physically.
There's an opening up there.
I'm gonna go check it out.
[ Engine whirring .]
[ Men speaking in Polish in distance .]
There's two guys up there.
We're gonna get back in the wood line and we're gonna get out of here, all right? Follow me.
Quiet.
[ Men speaking in Polish in distance .]
Quiet.
[ Wood cracks .]
Come on.
Come on.
Come on.
Narrator: Unknown to former Navy seal Joel lambert, the Polish border guard has deployed mobile assets to strategic points directly in his path.
And he has almost walked right into their trap.
[ Wood cracks .]
Come on.
Come on.
Come on.
Let's go.
[Bleep.]
Quit shooting! Let's [Bleep.]
go! I know those guys didn't see me.
They kept talking, and their heads didn't move as I backed out of there, so we were good.
But then you fell over and made a lot of noise.
So they may have heard that, so we got to keep moving.
We got to get out of here.
Narrator: Luckily for Joel, their mobile patrols have no idea how close they came to catching him.
Two Miles behind, marcin's k-9 team continues to search for Joel's spoor.
[ Speaking in Polish .]
He confirms he saw tracks of three persons going in that direction -- you see the way those trails are bent? To the earth.
Okay.
They went this way.
I can see he's smart.
He's good.
I think we are better.
We are gonna get him.
Narrator: This diversion has allowed Joel to gain another half mile to the north.
But the border guard's choke point still lies ahead.
There's a road not very far away.
So, we've got to be really heads-up.
We're gonna move around -- [ engine revs in distance .]
It's a car.
Narrator: Joel is being boxed in.
[Bleep.]
Narrator: With marcin closing in, he's forced to do the one thing his experience tells him not to.
I'm gonna go up and see if I can get a visual up and down.
We're gonna find a good place to cross this road.
Right up, about there -- about 15 meters -- is a nice shadowed area with some good shrubs on the other side of the road.
I looked up and down, and it looks like we're clear.
So, what we're gonna do is, all three of us are gonna move up there.
I'm gonna cross.
I'm gonna check it out, and I'm gonna signal you guys across.
Now I really got to get the antenna up and really start paying attention to signs that they may be on my trail.
[Bleep.]
This whole area, according to the map, is completely forested.
The only options I have are to do a huge dogleg to stay in the cover of the forest, and it looks like it's kilometers and kilometers, or just hoof it across and get into that wood line and hope for the best.
It looks like there's a hunter's tree stand right over there.
I'll be able to get a little elevation and see what's going on in this valley before I progress out.
It's rare to get an opportunity to get a really good visual beforehand on terrain that I'm gonna have to cross.
If I can get a bird's-eye view, that's gonna help me know what I might be walking into.
All right.
I got some elevation in this tree.
I've got a huge, open area that I'm gonna have to get across.
The more of it I can clear up -- holy [Bleep.]
there they are! They're sending their vehicles ahead of me to try to box me in.
As soon as they clear this area, they're gonna move on to the next field.
As soon as they do that, we can move.
Narrator: Unable to move forward, and with marcin's k-9 unit less than 1 1/4 mile behind and closing, Joel is quickly running out of options.
Lambert: All right.
Let's go! Come on, man.
We're moving.
We're just gonna move, we're gonna run -- keep your eyes peeled left and right.
Stay a little low so we can make use of the terrain, but we're just gonna go for it.
Keep up.
Oh [Bleep.]
Go! Go! Go! Keep moving! Come on! [ Gasping .]
[ Gasping .]
Narrator: The horses may not be able to run into the tree line, but Joel's not out of danger.
Joel and his camera team have been separated in the chase.
Not wanting to risk capture looking for them, Joel presses on by himself.
No! No! No! No! No! God [Bleep.]
[ Speaking in Polish .]
Lambert: This is way too high to free climb.
I'll fall to my death.
I hope to God this works.
[ Grunts .]
I'm gonna try to use this tree here as an improvised ladder, I hope.
[ Shouting in Polish .]
[ Grunts .]
[ Grunts .]
[ Dog barks .]
[ Grunts .]
Come on! [ Barking continues .]
Aah! [ Crash .]
[ Grunts .]
Too [Bleep.]
short.
Lambert: During world war ii, many poles lived in these woods, hiding for up to six years from their German occupiers.
You can really see how entire communities, during world war ii, could survive out here for years.
You've got so many resources.
You've got tons of willow -- that's where aspirin came from.
You've got yarrow, mint, and nettles.
This is really a cornucopia of all kinds of useable plants.
And not to mention all the edibles.
Poland is definitely beautiful.
Aah! [ Grunts .]
It's too [Bleep.]
short.
Narrator: Facing a 75-foot cliff, and with the border guard just 300 feet away, Joel makes a daring gamble to use a tree as a makeshift ladder.
[Bleep.]
I'm gonna have to jump.
Aah! All tied up.
Let's go! Come on! [ Panting .]
[ Speaking in Polish .]
[ Speaks in Polish .]
Pojnar: We just got a confirmation that they got the target, so hopefully they can have the dog on the track and we should be able to find him.
Lambert: Now that the border guard actually has a visual on me, they'll be brining all their assets to bear right in this small area, and there goes my lead.
Guys, we just lucked out.
My direction of travel is that way, so what we're gonna do is move through the river -- actually through the water -- around that bend and then cut up into the high country.
They'll never know where I went.
I got to keep my gear dry, and I'm gonna try and keep my top dry.
Because it's -- night is falling fast, and it's gonna get really cold.
Having wet clothes could actually be a dangerous situation in this environment.
I'm gonna use this river to throw the dogs off my trail.
They can't track me in water.
I am gonna low crawl in so no one can see me.
I'm gonna move downstream, and I'm gonna look for a good exit point, where animals have come down to get water.
And they are gonna spend a long time up and down that opposite bank trying to pick up all my scent among all that animal spoor.
This could, if it works, buy me a whole lot of time.
Narrator: The steady current of the San river has successfully taken Joel a full mile and a half west of where he entered And not a moment too soon.
[ Speaking in Polish .]
He must have crossed.
We lost him.
Again.
Narrator: The river has effectively masked Joel's trail.
And with the night falling, command restrategizes.
Ostrowski: If we use a helicopter, it can cover big areas in a short time.
Their pzl w helicopter is equipped with thermal night-vision cameras, which makes hiding in the shadows near impossible.
Get your dry stuff on.
We're losing light fast, and in this environment, wet clothes can kill you.
We got to get out of here.
We got to make time, fast.
[ Grunts .]
The sun has dropped behind the horizon.
It's gonna be a really cold night.
I haven't taken a break in almost 16 hours.
I want to find someplace where I can feel a little safe and I can settle in for little bit, get some rest.
Shh! We got a structure.
Looks like another hunting cabin.
It looks abandoned.
[ Helicopter whirring .]
Helicopter! Come on! Get in! [Bleep.]
Come on! Oh! [Bleep.]
Glass defeats thermal imagery.
I see them, and they can't see us.
Sounds like he's moving out of the area.
Let's just give it a couple minutes to make sure that he's really gone, and then we're gonna move.
[ Whirring fades .]
Okay.
Let's go.
I don't know if that helo saw me, but if it did, they are gonna be on me in minutes.
I got to move far.
I got to do it fast.
Come on! Come on! [ Helicopter whirring in distance .]
Get in here! Hey! Hey! Get in here! [Bleep.]
Helicopter Is still running search patterns.
At least now we've got a hard structure, so they're not gonna be able to pick us up on thermal.
Let's just -- [ whirring .]
[ Men speaking in Polish .]
[ Speaking in Polish .]
There is a vehicle right on top of us.
[ Speaking in Polish .]
We got to go.
We got to go now.
Come on.
Hunter forces crawling all over the place! I got to use this gully, I got to find a way out of here.
It looks like that truck's about to leave.
If I can get inside it or under it or hitch myself to it some way, that could be my ticket out of here.
Shh.
This is my chance! Narrator: Joel intentionally separates from his camera crew.
[ Engine turns over .]
Narrator: Desperate to evade the border guard's patrolling helicopters, Joel makes a bold move.
[ Breathing heavily .]
Moving.
Oh, God.
Narrator: Under the trailer, Joel hides his heat signature and moves without leaving any spoor.
[ Brakes squeak .]
[ Men speaking in Polish .]
Narrator: Joel's gamble has paid off.
He's evaded the helicopter and used the truck to travel three Miles closer to his extraction point.
Not wanting to push his luck, Joel jumps off at the truck's first stop.
Using GPS, a new camera crew is redirected to Joel.
Hey.
Nice of you to make it.
That worked perfectly.
That took me so far away from where they'll be searching.
There is no way they'll be able to pick up on my trail.
That'd make me feel pretty good about stopping down for a couple hours.
[ Grunts .]
Narrator: Having seen no sign of Joel for three hours, the straz graniczna recalls the chopper back to base.
[ Speaking in Polish .]
[ Sighs .]
Narrator: At first light, commander ostrowski redeploys his mobile units to continue the search for Joel's spoor.
[ Birds chirping .]
[ Bird hoots .]
That cuckoo -- that's good to hear.
That tells me that nobody's in that direction, 'cause otherwise, he would shut up.
Everything has got to be super tactical now, like we're on a stalk.
We are so close, and I don't want to blow it now.
[ Telephone ringing .]
Narrator: Shortly after daybreak, one of the forward patrols receives a tip from a local man who may have seen something suspicious in the early morning hours.
[ Engine idling .]
[ Speaking in Polish .]
Lisowski: The driver of the truck, he said he thinks he saw a man who jumped out from underneath of his trailer and started running towards the nearest woods.
[ Speaking in Polish .]
[ Speaking in Polish .]
Narrator: The border guard bring back Denzel, who quickly recognizes Joel's scent.
[ Shouting in Polish .]
[ Dog barking .]
The straz graniczna is once again on Joel's trail.
[ Shouts in Polish .]
Just half a mile away, Joel is unaware they're rapidly closing the gap.
[ Speaking in Polish .]
Yes, seems like we got him.
We found a fresh track, so he's right here.
He's going right towards the bridge.
Okay, go, go! Narrator: Based on Joel's direction of travel, the border guard believe his extraction point is in or around the city of rajskie.
If you can see him, apprehend.
Narrator: Now their last option is to catch him before his crosses the bridge.
[ Siren wails .]
All assets to the bridge.
[ Sirens wailing .]
[ Radio chatter .]
[ Men speaking in Polish in distance .]
Come on, come on, come on, come on, come on.
[ Dog barking .]
They have my position.
They know where I'm at.
They're gonna be able to bring everything they've got to bear on me now and box me in.
[ Dog barking .]
There is my extract -- that bridge.
Those dogs are on my ass.
[ Dog barking .]
[ Shouting in Polish .]
I just might have to sprint for it.
No balls, no blue chips.
[ Man shouts in Polish .]
Go! [ Shouting continues .]
God! [ Shouting continues .]
[ Breathing heavily .]
[ Shouting continues .]
[Bleep.]
Whoa! [ Shouting in Polish .]
Oh [Bleep.]
[ Radio chatter .]
So, that's the confirmation.
That's the confirmation.
Today, we got him.
Wow! Lambert: Today was your day.
We have been tracing you for almost 48 hours.
You were like a ghost, appearing here and disappearing.
We were losing your tracks all the time.
We were going in circles.
Doing all the tricks to us.
But this time, we are better.
I pulled out everything I had.
Yeah.
It was a great honor to have you here.
Thank you.
The honor was mine.
trained to capture terrorists [ Indistinct shouting .]
guard borders [ Dog barking .]
and hunt criminals.
Stand back! and now they're about to face one of their toughest targets Joel lambert.
Let's go.
Come on.
Narrator: A former Navy seal and expert in escape and evasion All right.
Come back.
Joel's mission is to put them to the test They're not prepared for this.
This is my turf.
Narrator: And evade capture for 36 hours.
Quitting is never an option.
I'm gonna die before I quit.
This time, Joel challenges Poland's elite border guard -- the straz graniczna.
I can see he's smart.
He's good.
I think we are better.
Narrator: They must track, hunt, and capture Joel before he crosses 15½ Miles of Polish countryside and reaches his extraction point.
The hunt is on.
-- Captions by vitac -- captions paid for by discovery communications got to move quick.
Narrator: The Polish border guard has been told that Joel and his crew will be breaching tonight somewhere within 2½ Miles of this border station.
Everything from here travels north into Poland.
Even though there aren't any fences, the only legal way to cross into Poland is through a checkpoint, which I am clearly not doing.
Narrator: The border guard doesn't know Joel's extraction point and must use their assets and tracking skills to capture him before he escapes.
[ Siren wails .]
Lambert: I have to assume that I've been spotted and that they're mobilizing their tracking units.
But that is gonna take time.
I'm moving fast and light.
I have a blade, I have a tomahawk, I've got some food and some water and some thermal insulation just in case it's really, really bad.
It's time to put on some speed and get some distance between what I'm sure are the canine units on my trail and where I need to be.
Narrator: Joel has moved 3/4 of a mile from his entry point on the border.
His objective is to travel an additional 15½ Miles and cross over the bridge at the city of rajskie, his extraction point, all in just 36 hours.
The border crossing took place somewhere here.
Narrator: The straz graniczna is Western Europe's first line of defense against smuggling and human trafficking.
The situation is very changeable, so we have to moderate it according to the reports of the patrol.
Narrator: Leading the charge is 17-year veteran major jerzy ostrowski.
He mobilizes all available assets, including 50 patrol officers, motorcycles, atvs, horses, and a k-9 unit.
Let's go! Let's go! With the border patrol's reputation on the line, he focuses all of his assets on finding Joel.
So, have a little bit of time, so I'm laying a deception trail through this nice, high grass, showing these guys a direction that I don't really want to go.
If I can get them to follow this false trail, they are gonna waste a lot of time, and I'm gonna gain a lot of distance.
I'm dragging my feet to create a lot of pointers and a lot of vegetation, indicating the way I want them to think that I am going.
Here we go.
I want them to know right off this isn't gonna be easy.
Narrator: Joel's already gained a two-hour head start, as it's taken time for the border guard to deploy their assets.
[ Speaking in Polish .]
The straz graniczna deploys captain marcin lisowski, a shrewd veteran tracker, and his elite unit to start where the thermal-imaging team saw Joel cross the border.
We are going to check from this place up to the wood.
Narrator: Marcin's expertise of this region makes him a serious threat to Joel.
You have to take it easy -- very, very slowly.
Look through every little piece of land -- something was slightly bent, slightly moved, that's how you see that somebody has passed this way.
Narrator: They're looking for Joel's spoor, which is the definitive sign of Joel's direction of travel.
This can include footprints or broken foliage.
[ Speaking in Polish .]
See the branch here? Up that trail.
Yeah.
It smacked against this tree.
Somebody's passing could just bends this branch and it stays like this -- in this position, right? So, now you can find out that somebody was passing here.
But not a long time ago, because the wind will just turn it back.
Come on, let's go.
[ Breathing heavily .]
So, I got a little gully here with some concealment and some shrubs growing up.
I'm gonna use that to cover my tracks as I move to the wood line.
The situation dictates how I'm gonna move.
If I've got good concealment, I'm gonna move as quick as I possibly can.
Now we've got some cover, some concealment, we're gonna move.
Narrator: Joel's spoor has led the border guard to a well-traveled field.
This is a very bad area for tracking somebody.
Many, many tracks, like from people who come here on motorcycles, bicycles, on foot.
Because of this heavily trafficked area, they call in a special asset -- their highly trained tracking dog Denzel.
A good dog is, really, a good invention.
With that dog, we have just detained like 500 people.
Narrator: Tracking dogs often just track the scent of broken foliage, but Denzel has been specially trained to also pick up the human scent left behind.
The straz graniczna have Denzel search the grass, trying to pickup the freshest trail.
We're gonna check this meadow here.
We want the dog to pick up the scent, and then our tracking will be much easier.
He can do it.
I believe in him.
All right.
Let's talk a little strategy.
Up here to the northeast, I have the Ukrainian border.
Down here to my southwest, this is basically impassible forest.
It's too thick for me to move through.
So, that's gonna make it very easy for the straz graniczna to get assets in front of me and box me in.
So, not only do I have to be aware of what's behind me, but what they may have gotten in front of me.
There are a lot of small, forested areas and large, open meadows, which means I got to move fast.
But I got to move very carefully to avoid being seen.
All right.
Let's go.
Narrator: After 30 minutes, Denzel finally has Joel's scent.
Unfortunately, it's Joel's deception trail.
The target is, like, making circles and stuff.
So, they keep chasing him, the dog gets confused.
The dog is not a computer.
So, if you run like this, this way and another, the dog is getting stupid.
The terrain here in Poland is beautiful.
It actually reminds me a lot of where I grew up -- the pacific northwest.
It's really lush, it's really wet, and it's really, really green.
I feel right at home.
Got a big, open, exposed area.
Can't cross that, so I've got to find a way around it.
So, we're gonna find some concealment that we can move through.
It's gonna take a longer route to get where we need to go, but it's not gonna expose us, and that's what we need.
Come on.
Let's go.
Andre, have you found something? Lisowski: He has found some tracks on this little stream bank.
Yes? [ Speaking in Polish .]
He got it! Yes! Narrator: The border guard is back on Joel's trail, but they've lost another hour.
Lambert: I've got the first signs of habitation.
It's a structure right up there.
I can see a structure right up there through the wood line.
It appears to be some sort of a hunter's cabin.
As far as I can tell, it looks At least not occupied right now.
I want to go have a look and see if there's anything in there I can use.
I had to get a better look at it.
Give me that little camera.
[ Dog barks in distance .]
[ Barking continues .]
Get down! Get down! Narrator: Former Navy seal Joel lambert is being hunted by Poland's elite border guard, the straz graniczna Got it! Yes! Narrator: And they're closing in.
[ Dog barks in distance .]
[ Barking continues .]
Lambert: It's been 10 minutes.
I haven't heard any cars or people.
[ Barking continues .]
The dog's giving me an idea.
Come on.
Let's go.
[ Speaking in Polish .]
Okay.
This is too much.
Have a look here.
You can see clearly, yeah, a footprint.
Good.
Still, we are following the tracks, but we're still As the k-9 unit pushes forward, commander jerzy ostrowski alters his tactics to try and box Joel in.
The northern area are here.
It's too difficult for us at this moment.
We have to stop him earlier.
Somewhere here.
We will make a choke point.
Observation, checkpoints on the road, and mobile patrols.
Just to be successful in stopping him here.
Take a look and see if there's anything we can use, and we're gonna get out of here pretty quick.
In my experience, it always pays to be on the lookout for anything useful.
This cabin could have a lot to offer.
[ Dog whines .]
And I think I just found it.
Narrator: Joel is now three Miles north of his entry point.
Marcin and his k-9 unit are 3/4 of a mile behind him, but up ahead, the straz graniczna mobilized their choke point with motorcycles, atvs, and horses.
Andre, he may be inside, okay? [ Speaking in Polish .]
[Bleep.]
He's not here.
[Bleep.]
So, we're about a kilometer away from the cabin.
They have dogs on my scent, I'm gonna use a dog to throw them off.
I've got an old tourniquet here, I'm gonna get my scent all over it.
I'm gonna set this pup loose.
Good puppy.
Good puppy.
Go, go! [ Chuckles .]
He's heading exactly the way I need him to go.
The bandana may look better on me, but it smells better on him.
Narrator: With the farm dog spreading Joel's scent randomly through the woods, Joel heads north, still unaware that the straz graniczna have set up a trap only 1 1/4 mile ahead.
[ Speaking in Polish .]
Lisowski: He may be very close.
Be careful, guys.
Narrator: With frustration mounting, the k-9 unit searches for which direction Joel left the cabin.
[ Speaking in Polish .]
[ Dog barking .]
Go! Go! Go! Let's go! Go! Finally, Denzel is back on Joel's scent.
Go, go.
But unfortunately, it's from the bandana Joel tied to the farm dog.
Come, come, come.
Look at this.
Come look at this.
What's this? Okay, Andre.
Let's find some tracks here.
I think he can't fly.
Can he? [Bleep.]
Again, we have some problems.
We cannot find the tracks.
I think he's very good, but he's starting to piss me off, really.
Narrator: Marcin's team must backtrack to Joel's last known spoor, at the cabin, to find his real trail.
Joel has beaten the k-9 unit and now moved a half-mile further north, still unaware of the choke point ahead.
Because we're laying all these little tricks, they've got to figure out every one.
It can be very, very frustrating.
And that's what I've got to do, is get inside their head and beat them mentally, make them work mentally as hard or harder than they're working physically.
There's an opening up there.
I'm gonna go check it out.
[ Engine whirring .]
[ Men speaking in Polish in distance .]
There's two guys up there.
We're gonna get back in the wood line and we're gonna get out of here, all right? Follow me.
Quiet.
[ Men speaking in Polish in distance .]
Quiet.
[ Wood cracks .]
Come on.
Come on.
Come on.
Narrator: Unknown to former Navy seal Joel lambert, the Polish border guard has deployed mobile assets to strategic points directly in his path.
And he has almost walked right into their trap.
[ Wood cracks .]
Come on.
Come on.
Come on.
Let's go.
[Bleep.]
Quit shooting! Let's [Bleep.]
go! I know those guys didn't see me.
They kept talking, and their heads didn't move as I backed out of there, so we were good.
But then you fell over and made a lot of noise.
So they may have heard that, so we got to keep moving.
We got to get out of here.
Narrator: Luckily for Joel, their mobile patrols have no idea how close they came to catching him.
Two Miles behind, marcin's k-9 team continues to search for Joel's spoor.
[ Speaking in Polish .]
He confirms he saw tracks of three persons going in that direction -- you see the way those trails are bent? To the earth.
Okay.
They went this way.
I can see he's smart.
He's good.
I think we are better.
We are gonna get him.
Narrator: This diversion has allowed Joel to gain another half mile to the north.
But the border guard's choke point still lies ahead.
There's a road not very far away.
So, we've got to be really heads-up.
We're gonna move around -- [ engine revs in distance .]
It's a car.
Narrator: Joel is being boxed in.
[Bleep.]
Narrator: With marcin closing in, he's forced to do the one thing his experience tells him not to.
I'm gonna go up and see if I can get a visual up and down.
We're gonna find a good place to cross this road.
Right up, about there -- about 15 meters -- is a nice shadowed area with some good shrubs on the other side of the road.
I looked up and down, and it looks like we're clear.
So, what we're gonna do is, all three of us are gonna move up there.
I'm gonna cross.
I'm gonna check it out, and I'm gonna signal you guys across.
Now I really got to get the antenna up and really start paying attention to signs that they may be on my trail.
[Bleep.]
This whole area, according to the map, is completely forested.
The only options I have are to do a huge dogleg to stay in the cover of the forest, and it looks like it's kilometers and kilometers, or just hoof it across and get into that wood line and hope for the best.
It looks like there's a hunter's tree stand right over there.
I'll be able to get a little elevation and see what's going on in this valley before I progress out.
It's rare to get an opportunity to get a really good visual beforehand on terrain that I'm gonna have to cross.
If I can get a bird's-eye view, that's gonna help me know what I might be walking into.
All right.
I got some elevation in this tree.
I've got a huge, open area that I'm gonna have to get across.
The more of it I can clear up -- holy [Bleep.]
there they are! They're sending their vehicles ahead of me to try to box me in.
As soon as they clear this area, they're gonna move on to the next field.
As soon as they do that, we can move.
Narrator: Unable to move forward, and with marcin's k-9 unit less than 1 1/4 mile behind and closing, Joel is quickly running out of options.
Lambert: All right.
Let's go! Come on, man.
We're moving.
We're just gonna move, we're gonna run -- keep your eyes peeled left and right.
Stay a little low so we can make use of the terrain, but we're just gonna go for it.
Keep up.
Oh [Bleep.]
Go! Go! Go! Keep moving! Come on! [ Gasping .]
[ Gasping .]
Narrator: The horses may not be able to run into the tree line, but Joel's not out of danger.
Joel and his camera team have been separated in the chase.
Not wanting to risk capture looking for them, Joel presses on by himself.
No! No! No! No! No! God [Bleep.]
[ Speaking in Polish .]
Lambert: This is way too high to free climb.
I'll fall to my death.
I hope to God this works.
[ Grunts .]
I'm gonna try to use this tree here as an improvised ladder, I hope.
[ Shouting in Polish .]
[ Grunts .]
[ Grunts .]
[ Dog barks .]
[ Grunts .]
Come on! [ Barking continues .]
Aah! [ Crash .]
[ Grunts .]
Too [Bleep.]
short.
Lambert: During world war ii, many poles lived in these woods, hiding for up to six years from their German occupiers.
You can really see how entire communities, during world war ii, could survive out here for years.
You've got so many resources.
You've got tons of willow -- that's where aspirin came from.
You've got yarrow, mint, and nettles.
This is really a cornucopia of all kinds of useable plants.
And not to mention all the edibles.
Poland is definitely beautiful.
Aah! [ Grunts .]
It's too [Bleep.]
short.
Narrator: Facing a 75-foot cliff, and with the border guard just 300 feet away, Joel makes a daring gamble to use a tree as a makeshift ladder.
[Bleep.]
I'm gonna have to jump.
Aah! All tied up.
Let's go! Come on! [ Panting .]
[ Speaking in Polish .]
[ Speaks in Polish .]
Pojnar: We just got a confirmation that they got the target, so hopefully they can have the dog on the track and we should be able to find him.
Lambert: Now that the border guard actually has a visual on me, they'll be brining all their assets to bear right in this small area, and there goes my lead.
Guys, we just lucked out.
My direction of travel is that way, so what we're gonna do is move through the river -- actually through the water -- around that bend and then cut up into the high country.
They'll never know where I went.
I got to keep my gear dry, and I'm gonna try and keep my top dry.
Because it's -- night is falling fast, and it's gonna get really cold.
Having wet clothes could actually be a dangerous situation in this environment.
I'm gonna use this river to throw the dogs off my trail.
They can't track me in water.
I am gonna low crawl in so no one can see me.
I'm gonna move downstream, and I'm gonna look for a good exit point, where animals have come down to get water.
And they are gonna spend a long time up and down that opposite bank trying to pick up all my scent among all that animal spoor.
This could, if it works, buy me a whole lot of time.
Narrator: The steady current of the San river has successfully taken Joel a full mile and a half west of where he entered And not a moment too soon.
[ Speaking in Polish .]
He must have crossed.
We lost him.
Again.
Narrator: The river has effectively masked Joel's trail.
And with the night falling, command restrategizes.
Ostrowski: If we use a helicopter, it can cover big areas in a short time.
Their pzl w helicopter is equipped with thermal night-vision cameras, which makes hiding in the shadows near impossible.
Get your dry stuff on.
We're losing light fast, and in this environment, wet clothes can kill you.
We got to get out of here.
We got to make time, fast.
[ Grunts .]
The sun has dropped behind the horizon.
It's gonna be a really cold night.
I haven't taken a break in almost 16 hours.
I want to find someplace where I can feel a little safe and I can settle in for little bit, get some rest.
Shh! We got a structure.
Looks like another hunting cabin.
It looks abandoned.
[ Helicopter whirring .]
Helicopter! Come on! Get in! [Bleep.]
Come on! Oh! [Bleep.]
Glass defeats thermal imagery.
I see them, and they can't see us.
Sounds like he's moving out of the area.
Let's just give it a couple minutes to make sure that he's really gone, and then we're gonna move.
[ Whirring fades .]
Okay.
Let's go.
I don't know if that helo saw me, but if it did, they are gonna be on me in minutes.
I got to move far.
I got to do it fast.
Come on! Come on! [ Helicopter whirring in distance .]
Get in here! Hey! Hey! Get in here! [Bleep.]
Helicopter Is still running search patterns.
At least now we've got a hard structure, so they're not gonna be able to pick us up on thermal.
Let's just -- [ whirring .]
[ Men speaking in Polish .]
[ Speaking in Polish .]
There is a vehicle right on top of us.
[ Speaking in Polish .]
We got to go.
We got to go now.
Come on.
Hunter forces crawling all over the place! I got to use this gully, I got to find a way out of here.
It looks like that truck's about to leave.
If I can get inside it or under it or hitch myself to it some way, that could be my ticket out of here.
Shh.
This is my chance! Narrator: Joel intentionally separates from his camera crew.
[ Engine turns over .]
Narrator: Desperate to evade the border guard's patrolling helicopters, Joel makes a bold move.
[ Breathing heavily .]
Moving.
Oh, God.
Narrator: Under the trailer, Joel hides his heat signature and moves without leaving any spoor.
[ Brakes squeak .]
[ Men speaking in Polish .]
Narrator: Joel's gamble has paid off.
He's evaded the helicopter and used the truck to travel three Miles closer to his extraction point.
Not wanting to push his luck, Joel jumps off at the truck's first stop.
Using GPS, a new camera crew is redirected to Joel.
Hey.
Nice of you to make it.
That worked perfectly.
That took me so far away from where they'll be searching.
There is no way they'll be able to pick up on my trail.
That'd make me feel pretty good about stopping down for a couple hours.
[ Grunts .]
Narrator: Having seen no sign of Joel for three hours, the straz graniczna recalls the chopper back to base.
[ Speaking in Polish .]
[ Sighs .]
Narrator: At first light, commander ostrowski redeploys his mobile units to continue the search for Joel's spoor.
[ Birds chirping .]
[ Bird hoots .]
That cuckoo -- that's good to hear.
That tells me that nobody's in that direction, 'cause otherwise, he would shut up.
Everything has got to be super tactical now, like we're on a stalk.
We are so close, and I don't want to blow it now.
[ Telephone ringing .]
Narrator: Shortly after daybreak, one of the forward patrols receives a tip from a local man who may have seen something suspicious in the early morning hours.
[ Engine idling .]
[ Speaking in Polish .]
Lisowski: The driver of the truck, he said he thinks he saw a man who jumped out from underneath of his trailer and started running towards the nearest woods.
[ Speaking in Polish .]
[ Speaking in Polish .]
Narrator: The border guard bring back Denzel, who quickly recognizes Joel's scent.
[ Shouting in Polish .]
[ Dog barking .]
The straz graniczna is once again on Joel's trail.
[ Shouts in Polish .]
Just half a mile away, Joel is unaware they're rapidly closing the gap.
[ Speaking in Polish .]
Yes, seems like we got him.
We found a fresh track, so he's right here.
He's going right towards the bridge.
Okay, go, go! Narrator: Based on Joel's direction of travel, the border guard believe his extraction point is in or around the city of rajskie.
If you can see him, apprehend.
Narrator: Now their last option is to catch him before his crosses the bridge.
[ Siren wails .]
All assets to the bridge.
[ Sirens wailing .]
[ Radio chatter .]
[ Men speaking in Polish in distance .]
Come on, come on, come on, come on, come on.
[ Dog barking .]
They have my position.
They know where I'm at.
They're gonna be able to bring everything they've got to bear on me now and box me in.
[ Dog barking .]
There is my extract -- that bridge.
Those dogs are on my ass.
[ Dog barking .]
[ Shouting in Polish .]
I just might have to sprint for it.
No balls, no blue chips.
[ Man shouts in Polish .]
Go! [ Shouting continues .]
God! [ Shouting continues .]
[ Breathing heavily .]
[ Shouting continues .]
[Bleep.]
Whoa! [ Shouting in Polish .]
Oh [Bleep.]
[ Radio chatter .]
So, that's the confirmation.
That's the confirmation.
Today, we got him.
Wow! Lambert: Today was your day.
We have been tracing you for almost 48 hours.
You were like a ghost, appearing here and disappearing.
We were losing your tracks all the time.
We were going in circles.
Doing all the tricks to us.
But this time, we are better.
I pulled out everything I had.
Yeah.
It was a great honor to have you here.
Thank you.
The honor was mine.