A dog who mysteriously disappeared earlier this week has been found alive and unharmed – 15 feet down a dark, narrow sinkhole in the middle of a marshy field.
The lucky pup, named Skye, had gone missing Monday night while out for a walk with her owner near the campus of Penn State. After a plea for help finding her was posted on social media, it received thousands of likes and shares, but no one reported having seen her.
The reason eventually became clear.
Undeterred by the lack of sightings, Skye’s owner never gave up searching. The dog, too, evidently never gave up hope of being found.
On Wednesday morning, while scouring through a field not far from where Skye was last seen, her owner heard a faint sound of barking – from underground in a deep hole. That’s where the missing pup was discovered.
Of course, she wasn’t quite saved yet.
Skye’s owner alerted first responders from Alpha Fire Company who arrived to the scene to try to retrieve the dog from her subterranean trap.
Although there was barely enough space for a person to pass through the hole’s narrow opening, a rescuer identified as Assistant Chief Harris volunteered to descend inside to save Skye.
It was pretty much a claustrophobic’s worst nightmare.
Sure enough, the rescuer’s efforts paid off. Here’s footage showing the moment Harris emerged from the hole with Skye in his arms.
The dog’s reaction to being freed after so long an ordeal? Priceless.
While this outcome couldn’t have been a happier one for Skye and her owner, it also came as the greatest news for all the folks online who’d helped spread the word about her disappearance.
“Our prayers have been answered and we are so grateful to everyone who played a role in bringing this girl home safe,” wrote Pet Recovery of Centre County on Facebook. “Welcome home to Skye! What a miracle.”
We join in cheering on all involved – and a big thanks for Skye and her owner for never giving up hope.
