A Christmas Day hike appeared to have turned to disaster for dog owner Dave Schelske after his fun day walking the Columbia River Gorge Eagle Creek Trail with dog Sandy was ruined by a simple accident.
Walking along the trail at the top of a 150 feet drop into the freezing Oregon river below, Sandy slipped her leash and ran for the edge of the trail. Before panicked Schelske could make his way to the edge of the cliff and save his dog, the canine disappeared over the edge and out of sight.
Determined not to give up on his pet, Dave Schelske hiked to the bottom of the cliff and discovered the miraculous site of Sandy positioned on a ledge out of his reach without specialist climbing equipment.
The pet owner refused to give up on his dog and made some calls to try and find some help to rescue his beloved dog from her precarious position of danger, eventually seeking the help of the volunteers of the Oregon Humane Society.
Bringing specialist climbing gear and working long after darkness fell on Christmas Day, a single volunteer made their way down ropes to the ledge and attached Sandy to a safety harness to try and bring her to safety. Eventually emerging from the darkness, Sandy, carried by her braver rescuer made her way onto the trail and was reunited with her very relieved owner.