Puppy Rescued After Falling Into a Mine Shaft...

 While training our 5-month old German wire-haired pointer pup, Maggie, on BLM land outside of Dillon, MT she ran headlong into a 26-foot deep abandoned mine shaft. Right away she started yelping and crying and, having no idea the hole was there, at first we thought she had somehow injured a leg or something? When we realized what you can imagine our terror...Then just as we reached the hole she stopped yelping and crying...When our pleas, "Mags, hang in there baby, we'll get you out..." brought no response naturally we feared the worst.

Dr. Mike Clark, a friend and member of Beaverhead Search and Rescue,
about to rappel down to Maggie's rescue.

Vertical and too steep to get down to where I could see her, assess whether the hole was dry or, more to the point, how badly she was hurt. And no cell service, no way for me to get to her anyway, we took off to get help.

After meeting first responders, Sheriff Frank Kluesner and Under-sheriff David Chase we returned to the mine shaft. Our hopes soared when we found Mags had moved such we could now see her. While we could not really see whether on her feet or lying down, each time I talked she raised her head and looked up. Amazing to us she seemed alert, calm and gave no indication of being in pain.

Beaverhead Search and Rescue arrived and soon had Dr. Mike Clark rigged and on his way down. You can only imagine our elation when I asked Mike, "how's she doin'?" and he responded, "Chuck, except for bein' scared and scuffed up some, she seems okay, can't see that anything's broken."

When Mike shoved Mags (in the bag) over the last lip, seeing as how she was kicking and struggling...like get me outta this damn thing, NOW!!! ended any worries she might be hurt badly.

When Gale unzipped the bag she came out wagging her butt (stub of a tail) such we thought she       might self-destruct. It took two hands to hold her until we could get a lead on and safely get 

her away from hole...

Tired and way thirsty, hard to believe, but except for a minor cut on her forehead and a bloody nose she showed no signs of other injuries. After a quick stop at the Vet, who agreed she looked way better than she should, we took her home.

Now two days removed you would never know...