Additional Coverage:
A Chihuahua in the Swiss Alps is being hailed a hero after helping rescuers locate its owner, who had fallen into a glacial crevasse.
The unidentified man was exploring the Fee Glacier on Friday when he fell nearly 26 feet after a snow bridge collapsed beneath him. While equipped with a walkie-talkie, the man could only relay the accident to a nearby individual, who then contacted emergency services. The man’s exact location remained unknown.
After a roughly 30-minute search, a rescue team member from Air Zermatt spotted the man’s dog, a Chihuahua, pacing anxiously near the crevasse. This alerted the crew to the man’s location. Rescuers were then able to rappel down, retrieve the man, and transport him and his canine companion to a hospital.
Air Zermatt spokesman Bruno Kalbermatten underscored the dog’s critical role, stating that the man likely would not have survived without his four-legged friend’s help. The company echoed this sentiment, praising the Chihuahua as a “hero” on their website.