So heartwarming.
A very brave dog has been reunited with her owners after falling down a mineshaft and getting stuck for four days.
Two-year-old Labrador Olive had been out for a walk in the Sheffield countryside with a dog walker when she suddenly went missing.
Owner Jo Belton said finding out that her pet was gone felt “surreal”.
“The worst thing was, there was no sightings,” she said. “It was like she vanished.”
Along with the help of family, friends, and dog-searching group Hart Sar, Jo continuously searched the area – even using drones with thermal image cameras in attempt to find Olive. But there was no sign of her, and she started to lose hope.
Then, after 4 days of frantically searching, a family friend who had been helping out heard a faint whimper coming from an area covered in long grass.
It turned out that Olive had fallen down to the bottom of a 12ft mineshaft. She was able to survive by drinking water that dripped down the sides of the walls.
Firefighters rescued the dog by climbing down into the shaft with a rope and ladder, before giving her some food and water to calm her down. Once free, she ran straight into her owner’s arms – tail wagging.
“We were convinced she was dead,” Jo said. “Four days, four nights. We were a bit hysterical.”
Olive was immediately taken to the vet, who said she was unharmed.
Jo’s daughter Charlotte said: “Thank you so much to every single person who has been searching for her, we can’t believe we have our angel back.
“She was completely fine other than the fact she’s lost a lot of weight. She has no injuries or broken bones or anything and she still seemed herself.”
The mine shaft has since been fenced off and the hole is to be filled in the near future.
