TRUCKEE, Calif. – A border collie dog helped alert rescue crews to his owner who fell about 70 feet while hiking in a California forest last week.
According to the New York Times, a 53-year-old man and his border collie named Saul were both hiking in the Tahoe National Forest on July 13 when the man fell roughly 70 feet from a ridge.
KTVU said that the man fell the night before and was able to get cell service to call for help. Searchers tried to ping his location but were unsuccessful.
The Nevada County Sheriff’s Search & Rescue said all the credit belonged to the owner’s dog, Saul, who ran about 200 yards trying to flag down searchers.
The NYT said that Saul found the searchers about seven hours after his owner had called for help. The area where the man was hiking did not have access for vehicles and caused the searchers to look for him by foot instead.
“In true ‘LASSIE’ fashion to flag down two searchers and led them back to the subject which was covered in a camo tarp,” said NCSSR.
Saul was able to bring the searchers back to where his owner was, according to NCSSR. The man was transported to a landing zone about half a mile away and taken to the hospital via air ambulance. The man broke his hip and some ribs.
Saul was taken back to a nonprofit in the area and given some special treats, said NCSSR. Apparently, when the man was in the hospital, he was “desperate to be reunited with his dog,” Sergeant Dennis Haack of NCSSR told the NYT. The man was able to pick up his dog that afternoon and praised him for his help.
