Saas-Fee, Switzerland – Friday, July 4: Move over, St. Bernards—there’s a new four-legged mountain hero in town, and he’s barely the size of a teacup. When his owner plunged eight meters into a glacier crevasse atop the Fee Glacier, it was the trusty Chihuahua who stole the show.
Out for a sunny afternoon stroll, the man and his pint-sized pup suddenly found themselves in peril when the ice beneath them gave way. The owner tumbled into a yawning chasm, while his dainty companion managed to keep all four paws on solid ground, perched, trembling, at the very edge.
Unfazed by the drama unfolding below, the Chihuahua stayed put, barking its little heart out, until rescuers arrived. Meanwhile, the owner used a handheld amateur radio to call for help, his frantic message picked up by a passerby who immediately alerted Air Zermatt.
By mid-afternoon, an Air Zermatt helicopter carrying three mountain-rescue specialists pierced the cobalt sky. From above, the team scanned the vast expanse of ice but with crevasses stretched as far as the eye could see, pinpointing the fall site was like finding a snowflake in a blizzard.
Enter the Chihuahua: one wag of its tail and voilà! An eagle-eyed rescuer spotted the micro pooch by the edge of a crevasse. Guided by the pup’s position, the team fast-roped down to the stranded man, strapped him into a harness, and hoisted him to safety.
Both hiker and mascot were whisked off to Visp Hospital for check-ups and plenty of treats. “This little dog’s bravery probably saved his owner’s life,” the Air Zermatt statement concluded, proof that heroism sometimes comes with a lot of attitude… and in small packages.