A dog feared lost on one of England's highest mountains has been found alive after spending 19 days alone on Helvellyn. Teddy, who vanished on August 2, was rescued from a remote gully following an extensive search operation involving volunteers, specialist dog rescue teams and drone operators.
The exhausted animal was discovered after a searcher heard barking from Dry Gill on Thursday morning and traced the sound to the stranded dog. Mountain rescuers were called to the scene and succeeded in bringing Teddy safely off the fell, ending an ordeal that had sparked widespread concern among those searching for him, Lancs Live reports.
Rescue from Dry Gill
Keswick Mountain Rescue Team noted how, while visibly underweight following almost three weeks on the exposed Lakeland fell, he seemed otherwise uninjured. Touching photographs captured the dog being transported to safety in a rucksack before an emotional reunion with his relieved owner at the base of the mountain.
Rescuers praised the discovery as proof of the dedication of volunteers who "never gave up" hunting for Teddy. "The team are absolutely delighted to share this update, as the news of this missing dog had deeply affected so many people across our local community", Keswick Mountain Rescue Team shared on Facebook. "Teddy had been missing since 2nd August after disappearing on Helvellyn."
Safe Return to Owner
Nearly three weeks later, there was finally some fantastic news when one of the volunteers searching for him heard barking coming from Dry Gill. They managed to locate Teddy, alive but stuck in the gill, and due to the dangerous location, the team were called to help bring him to safety.
"The team attended and reached Teddy, who thankfully had no obvious injuries, although after nearly three weeks on the fell, he had understandably lost a considerable amount of weight. He was given a small amount of food before being safely secured in a rucksack for the journey back down to Swirls car park."
Around three and a half hours after the callout began, the team met Teddy's owner and the original informant at Swirls, where Teddy was handed back to his very relieved owner for onward travel to the vets. "A remarkable outcome after nearly three weeks on Helvellyn, and a huge well done to everyone who kept searching and never gave up on Teddy."
The rescue team relies entirely on public donations to fund their operations, and contributions can be made here.
