Real-Life Heroes Save Ornery Pup Who Fell Into 40-foot Mine Shaft

Dog might be man's best friend, but one Virginia pup might consider some men heroes. In a heartwarming story that's gone viral, a Hound named Dusty found herself in an unfortunate situation deep in the mountains where time was running out. Luckily, help was on the way.

It all began when Dusty's owners realized their beloved dog had gone missing. 24 hours came and went before they went looking for her. Eventually, they found her — at the bottom of an estimated 40-foot mine shaft in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. That's roughly the equivalent of falling four stories.

According to Blue Ridge Mountains Travel Guide, the mountains span across "34,000 square miles of gorgeous mountain terrain filled with towering summits, meandering rivers, lush forests, gleaming lakes, and cascading waterfalls." While beautiful to look at, Dusty's particular location was in a remote area on already rocky terrain and the drop could've hurt her. This was a delicate job that needed extra care in the event the rescue caused further harm.

"Getting the equipment into the area was tough," Wintergreen Deputy Chief Mike Riddle told Daily Paws about the two-hour rescue. "Some local bystanders helped us get our equipment in place with a UTV. Once we were on site, we were able to set up a tripod with a safety harness and a haul line. We lowered a rescuer into the mine shaft, where he was able to secure the dog and we hauled them both up."

A shaken and scared Dusty came up to the surface where responders looked her over for injury. Miraculously, Dusty appeared to be unharmed, (aside from the slight embarrassment of so much fuss). Her owners made sure to get her to the vet to confirm she didn't break or sprain anything after such a long fall. Overall, things could've been a lot worse.

The inspiring story gained traction after word got out about the event, making the four first-responders heroes to Dusty's family and all of Nelson County. Many took to the original Facebook post's comments to praise their hard work, thanking them for getting Dusty to safety so quickly. Hopefully the ornery pup will avoid mine shafts in the future, but if she doesn't, her owners know who to count on.

We reached out to Wintergreen Fire & Rescue for an update on Dusty but did not hear back at the time of this post. We will keep you updated.