11-07-2025
Tiny dog saves owner from icy death
A pint-sized pooch is being celebrated in Switzerland this weekend after his frantic barking and dancing about in the snow led rescuers to his owner who had fallen down an icy crevasse in the Swiss Alps.
The hiker and his tiny 'Papillon' type dog had been taking a walk in the mountains on the Fee Glacier near the Italian border when the man suddenly walked through a 'snow bridge' and plunged 8 metres down into a snowy crevasse.
Rescuers from Air Zermatt helicopters have credited the little pocket sized pooch with saving his owners life as he stayed by the spot where the man fell into the glacier, and barked and ran about frantically trying to attract attention. The Swiss Alps. Pic: Shutterstock
The hiker had a walkie talkie on him and called for help but the Air Mountain rescue were having difficulty locating him, until they saw a tiny furry brown creature hopping about in the snow, pinpointing the exact spot where the man had fallen.
Air Zermatt rescuers described the glacier as large, wide and snow-covered and the hole the hiker had fallen through was so narrow it was barely visible from the surface. It's believed they may never have found the man if it hadn't been for his tiny companion. A tiny dog that helped rescuers in finding its owner who had fallen into a crevasse in Fee glacier above Saas-Fee, Western Switzerland. Pic: Handout/Air Zermatt/AFP via Getty Images
Rescuers from local mountain rescue associations and Air Zermatt had warned hikers back in March about the dangers posed by crevasses, reporting seven rescue missions within two weeks.
The man and his dog were airlifted to hospital and both are said to be recovering well.
While the rest of Europe bakes under a heatwave, some of the higher peaks of the Italian Swiss Alps still have snowy areas, especially on north-facing slopes.
