A pair of spelunkers in Missouri rescued a dog from a cave that had been missing for two months.
Rick Haley said he and Gerry Keene facilitated the rescue after spelunkers spotted the dog in the Perry County, Missouri, cave. The 21-mile-long cave required the dog to be moved 500 feet vertically, making the rescue precarious.
“The dog was not in good shape,” Haley wrote. “We package the dog in a duffel bag with her head sticking out. This was to protect her and the rescuers as she would likely struggle. We moved her 500 feet to a very tight, awkward, vertical climb, handing her hand to hand upward to the surface.”
The dog had been missing since June 9. Haley said the dog has been reunited with its owners.
Officials say the cave is home to uncommon species and cave biotas including amphipods, cave salamanders and grotto salamanders.