Chihuahua leads Swiss rescue team to owner stuck in a crevasse

Philipp showed the rescuers on the Fee Glacier the way and thus became a lifesaver. Air Zermatt

A Chihuahua helped to rescue a man on the Fee Glacier above Saas-Fee mountain resort on Friday. It alerted a rescue team to its owner who had fallen into a crevasse.

The man was travelling with his small dog on the Fee Glacier early on Friday afternoon when he broke through a snow bridge and fell into a crevasse, the Air Zermatt air rescue service reported on Sunday. The casualty had called for help using an amateur radio. A person nearby received the emergency call and alerted the rescue centre.

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According to the communiqué, the man could not be located straight away. The glacier surface was wide and the crevasse was barely visible.

The rescue team spotted a small movement on a rock which turned out to be a Chihuahua, the statement continued. The crevasse was located right next to it and the dog’s behaviour helped guide the rescue team to the correct spot. According to the communiqué, the Air Zermatt team was able to rescue the man and fly him and his dog to a hospital in Visp.

Adapted from German by DeepL/ac

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