A family has had a chance to say goodbye to their beloved dog after a daring rescue by local emergency services at an Elk Valley waterfall.
On Thursday night, Sparwood Search and Rescue (SAR) and Elkford SAR were called by RCMP to rescue the dog, which had slipped over an embankment and fallen down a series of cliffs at Josephine Falls, east of Elkford.
A Sparwood rope rescue technician was able to reach the dog after being lowered nearly 90 metres down the cliffs.
The dog was returned to its family, however, it tragically died from injuries sustained in the fall.
“We would like to express our deepest sympathy to his family,” said Sparwood SAR in a Facebook post the following day.
While rescuing animals isn’t a primary SAR function, Sparwood SAR said it was not uncommon for volunteers to help out in cases where technical rescue skills were needed to safely reach a pet in distress.
“The terrain at Josephine Falls is extremely hazardous and the dog’s family definitely did the right thing by calling for help instead of attempting a rescue themselves,” said the organization Friday.
