- Liza was off-leash when she was hiking with her owner and fell into a deep, narrow crevice.
- She was trapped for five days since it was impossible to reach her through conventional means.
- She was finally rescued when a response team member managed to shimmy along the passage, lure her, and pull her back up to the surface.
A calming hike turned into a frightening life-or-death situation when a dog fell into a deep, narrow crevice and got trapped for days.
Liza was hiking off-leash with her owner near Gertrude’s Nose Trail in New York’s Minnewaska State Park Preserve when she fell in the crevice in the rock.
Her owner could still hear her barking, so she called for help.
The rescuers from New York State Parks, Recreation, and Historic Sites responded, but the crevice was so deep and narrow that it was impossible to reach Liza through conventional means.
In the next days, more rescue teams arrived to assist them, including a volunteer crew that specializes in cave rescues, the New Jersey Initial Response Team. They lowered a camera first to check on Liza and monitor her status and location.
It was on the fifth day that Jessica Van Ord, the NJIRT’s smallest member, was lowered into the crevice to try and rescue Liza.
NJIRT chief Mark Dickey described the crevice as a “tight vertical fissure leading to an even tighter horizontal crack.” Fortunately, Jessica was small enough to be able to “squeeze and contort herself more than 40 feet from the surface to reach the dog.”
Jessica managed to shimmy along the tight passage.
She used a catch stick with a hot dog on its end to lure Liza closer to her. As soon as the catch loop was placed around Liza, Jessica was able to pull her up to safety, up 40 feet back to the surface!
There's no doubt that this was one of the best days on the job yet! Listen to the applause as Liza is finally brought to the surface after five days stuck in a crevice and we see her adorable little face. Way to go team!! #lifesaving #rescue #dogs #dogsofinstagram Ulster County SPCA New Jersey Initial Response Team Minnewaska State Park
Posted by Ulster County SPCA on Thursday, October 14, 2021
Apart from being hungry and thirsty, Liza was relatively unharmed.
Officials believe that Liza may have licked the moisture from the cave walls to sustain her through her ordeal.
But the harrowing experience serves as a warning for other hikers to be more mindful of their pets and to avoid letting them off-leash in dangerous areas such as these.
Mark said, “This incident is a reminder that a single misstep, whether by animal, child, or even adult, near caves or cliffs can be deadly.”
Fortunately for Liza, there were brave rescuers who were prepared to venture into the crevice to save her.
Source: Inspire More