Real-life ‘Lassie’ helps rescuers find owner who took 22-metre tumble in Tahoe
Global News
Saul the border collie was treated to a 'well-deserved dinner' after leading search and rescue members to his injured owner in California's Tahoe National Park.
In trouble? Better call Saul (the dog)!
A border collie named Saul is being credited as a “true Lassie” for helping a search and rescue team locate his injured owner who had fallen 70 feet, or 22 metres, from a ridge in a remote section of Tahoe National Forest in northern California last week.
The 53-year-old hiker suspected he had a broken hip and ribs after falling in the night on July 12, according to authorities.
Despite his injuries, the man was able to find a location in the forest with cellphone service around noon the next day and called for help. A team of 25 search and rescue members were deployed to find him.
What happened next in the field left Sgt. Dennis Haack of the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue team dumbfounded.
“At first we didn’t believe it because it sounded like a movie,” Haack told local outlet KCRA. “When (the rescue team) came back and actually described it to us, the reality was that they had followed the dog directly to the victim.”
About seven hours after the man called for help, the rescue team was combing through the area when Saul came barrelling through the woods.
The dog started jumping around, spinning in circles and ran about 20 feet, or six metres, ahead of the search and rescue members before turning back to stare them down, the New York Times reported. Haack told the outlet that he heard a volunteer say over the radio: “Hey, I think this dog is trying to lead us somewhere.”