A teen and his friends were hanging around a popular spot by the river enjoying the cold and relaxing late-night breeze in Elko, British Columbia. The boy also brought his puppy along to play with his friends.
In an unfortunate turn of events, the dog slipped over the edge of the steep cliff. The teen responded quickly and attempted to rescue his dog, but also lost his footing and fell down the cliff right after him.
A Late Night Accident By The River
It was around 10 p.m., according to Chief Michael Hockley, from Elk Valley’s Rural Fire and Rescue when the teen and his pup fell to an estimated height of 600 feet. The pair ended up landing only a few feet away from the river.
Falling at that extreme height during the night just spells disaster, especially since the rescue team won’t be able to see anything clearly in the dark. It could have turned out worse if they had fallen straight into the river.
Thankfully his friends were quick to their feet and called 911 immediately after they fell. Chief Hockley and the rescuers were even able to talk to everyone and analyze the situation while the rescuers came up with a plan.
Rescuers Worked Overnight to Save Teen and His Dog
Chief Hockley deemed it “impossible for their rescuers to save the boy and his pup.” He said their rope gear was not long enough to reach them. This led the chief to ask the services of the neighboring city, Fernie, for more men and longer, more capable ropes.
The rescuers tirelessly worked overnight to safely get the teen and his pup back up the embankment, finishing the rescue at about 4 a.m.
“It was not an easy task,” Chief Hockley reported, “the crew had to be extra careful going down to the bottom of the cliff because of loose rocks and debris that could fall directly to the pair waiting below.”
The heroic efforts of the entire crew involved 12 firefighters from Elko and 7 Search and Rescue responders from Fernie. Despite the challenging conditions of going down the 600 foot cliff and with limited visibility in the dark, the crew did an amazing job and brought the dog and his owner safely.
Safe and Sound: Teen and Pup Successfully Rescued From the Fall
Falling from a height of 600 feet is not something many people can survive. A fall from a 200 feet height can already lead to multiple fractures and life-threatening trauma, or even death under more extreme conditions.
But luckily, the boy and his puppy only received non-life-threatening injuries and were quickly taken to the hospital to recover.
A concerned woman commented on the Regional District of East Kootenay’s Facebook page: “I hope the young man heals quickly and completely. How is the dog?”
The Regional District of East Kootenay Facebook page then quickly replied: “The dog was ok.”
Chief Hockley even said that everybody was surprised that he and his dog weren’t that seriously hurt in the fall.
The dog, which was a from the shepherd breed according to the chief, bravely stayed with his young owner during the whole ordeal.
From the Club
Stories like this are heartwarming and only further prove that a dog is a man’s best friend. The boy and his dog stuck together all night while the rescuers did their best to save them. I also can’t believe they both fell 600 feet and survived!
Nothing would make me feel more secure and safe than having my dog with me in stressful situations. Fortunately this was also during a time when it wasn’t too cold and the weather was mild.
