Another story of an amazing animal responsible for coming to the rescue of it’s people happened earlier this week in Oregon. Thanks to a high-tech electronic gadget and a big warm dog named Velvet, three climbers rescued after a harrowing fall and a night in the wind and cold high on Mount Hood are expected to be fine.
They were found at about the 7,400-foot level on Monday and hiked down the mountain with their rescuers.
Searchers credited the group’s rescue to two things — Velvet, a black Labrador mix who provided warmth as the three climbers huddled under sleeping bags and a tarp, and the activation of an emergency radio beacon the size of a sunglasses case that guided rescuers to the group.
Velvet, owned by climber, Matty Bryant, had minor cuts and abrasions on her back paws and legs from prolonged exposure to the snow, but she was cleared to go home.
“The dog probably saved their lives” by lying across them during the cold night, said Erik Brom, a member of the Portland Mountain Rescue team.
Fortunately the group was well-equipped for climbing Mount Hood in the winter with cell phones, global positioning system gear and the locater beacons. Still without Velvet they would not have had such a happy ending.
