A tiny dog has been lauded as a hero by Air Zermatt rescue services after his owner's life was saved following a plunge into a crevasse in the Swiss Alps. The team praised the pooch for drawing attention to the location of the stricken walker, who was rescued as part of a "extraordinary mission" and taken to hospital for further treatment.
The incident, as reported in an Air Zermatt July 6 press release, took place on the Fee Glacier above the ski resort village of Saas-Fee. The owner and dog had been taking a walk on the glacier when the man broke a snow bridge and fell into a 26ft (8m) crevasse.
The dog, which was identified as a chihuahua by Air Zermatt, but may actually be a papillon spaniel, remained on the edge of the drop. The man called for help with a rudimentary walkie-talkie and, although someone nearby picked up his distress call, pinpointing his location was proving difficult.
An Air Zermatt chopper was scrambled to the Fee Glacier but was struggling to find the casualty due to the large size of the search area in conjunction with how small the crevasse's hole was. Miraculously, one of the rescuers spotted movement on a rock: it was the dog! The little animal was faithfully standing by the hole his owner had fallen through.
"The little dog did not move during the entire operation and closely followed every movement of the rescue specialists," reads the Air Zermatt statement. "It is fair to say that his behavior contributed significantly to the successful rescue. The dog is a four-legged hero who may have saved his master's life in a life-threatening situation."
Both owner and dog were safely flown off the glacier and transfered to hospital in the Swiss alpine city of Visp.
Hiking on a glacier
Glacier hiking is a spectacular activity, though hikers should always take additional precautions to stay safe. It's worth heading out with an experienced guide who can, quite literally, show you the ropes and teach you the required techniques.
- Never hike alone on a glacier: This is to ensure that, should the worst happen and you fall into a crevasse, someone is there to raise to alarm and help you get back out. Despite this heart-warming story, a dog is not usually adequate in such a scenario.
- Use specialized gear: You'll require winter hiking or mountaineering boots, ice axes and crampons, while you should also be tied to other people on a rope. This is to ensure that any fall into a crevasse can be arrested.
- Walk using specific techniques: Generally, you'll take smaller steps and move slowly to lower your chances of losing your balance, planting your ice axe for additional stability in the uphill hand when ascending a slope.
Air Zermatt
Air Zermatt is a Swiss helicopter rescue team based in Zermatt beneath the iconic Matterhorn. Its fleet of choppers provide rescue services across the Alps. A 2016 Netflix documentary series The Horn follows the team and their operations, providing an insight into the lives and perilous work of the team's pilots, rescuers and other employees.
If you think a helicopter ride around the Matterhorn sounds like fun, the good news is that Air Zermatt also provides sightseeing flights of between 20 and 40 minutes from its base in Zermatt. You'll enjoy magnificent views across the Alps, with giants like Monte Rosa, Lyskamm, Breithorn and Weisshorn strutting their stuff.
