It’s always wonderful to watch people helping animals, but one crew went above and beyond on a recent rescue mission, braving a narrow 40-foot cave plunge — and a run-in with a ferocious bear — to free a trapped dog.
According to a Facebook post from the Waldens Creek Volunteer Fire Department, the Sevier County Technical Rope Rescue Team, which included rope rescue technicians from various area fire departments, was dispatched to rescue a dog named Charlie.
Charlie was stranded 40 feet down a very small cave shaft. After arriving on the incident and hiking to Charlie’s position, two firefighters climbed into the cave to hunt for the dog, but were startled when they discovered they weren’t alone.
Inside the cave, a 2-year-old, 200-pound grizzly slept five feet below, trapping Charlie. Unable to approach Charlie without frightening the bear, the team put up cameras before departing the cave and waited for it to go.
The group returned the next day and discovered that the bear had departed the cave. Once the coast was clear, a team of firefighters proceeded into the cave and discovered Charlie. They put a harness on the dog and brought it back to safety. Charlie was allegedly “quickly reunited with his happy owner.”
According to the fire crew, Charlie had been in the cave for around three days and was “dehydrated and hungry,” but generally in fair shape.
Coincidentally, the same rescue squad freed another dog named Storm from a cave last year; the dog is Charlie’s “cousin,” according to the department. It appears that it runs in the family; perhaps, these canines will be secure in the future.