Tiny Chihuahua Helps Rescue Owner Who Fell into Swiss Glacier

A Chihuahua is earning the title of “four-legged hero” after playing a vital role in saving his owner who had plunged into an icy crevasse high up in the Swiss Alps.

The helicopter rescue company Air Zermatt reported that the loyal long-haired Chihuahua was the key to locating the man, who had been trekking across the Fee Glacier in Valais when disaster struck. In the early afternoon, the unsuspecting hiker suddenly crashed through a fragile snow bridge and dropped 26 feet straight down into the narrow icy gap.

“While the man was stuck in the glacier ice, his faithful companion, a small Chihuahua, was left at the edge of the crevasse,” Air Zermatt explained.

Despite being injured and trapped, the man was fortunate to have an amateur walkie-talkie with him. He managed to send out a distress call, but the person who picked up the transmission couldn’t determine exactly where the accident had taken place. This left the three-person helicopter crew with the daunting task of scanning a vast, frozen landscape dotted with subtle depressions and nearly invisible holes.

“Searching for the collapse-site proved difficult for the 3-person helicopter crew because the glacier surface was wide and the hole barely visible,” the company said.

Then, in what turned out to be a stroke of luck, one of the rescue specialists spotted a tiny flicker of movement on a rock—a little Chihuahua perched steadfastly. Right beside the dog was the hidden opening of the crevasse where his owner lay injured.

“Then, one of the rescue specialists spotted a small movement on a rock: the Chihuahua. And right next to it was the collapsed hole.”

Wasting no time, the rescuers descended into the crevasse, reached the stranded hiker, and successfully pulled him out. They then flew both man and dog by helicopter to a hospital in Visp for treatment.

“The little dog did not move during the entire operation and closely followed every movement of the rescue,” Air Zermatt said in a press release.

“It is fair to say that his behavior contributed significantly to the successful rescue.

“The dog is a four-legged hero who may have saved his master’s life in a life-threatening situation.”

Thanks to the Chihuahua’s remarkable loyalty and calm presence, what could have been a fatal incident ended with both owner and dog safely reunited.