Ski patrollers at Alyeska Ski Resort in Girdwood rescued a dog from a deep ravine last week that had been missing for 13 days.
Otis, who’s described as a friendly Bernese mountain dog who loves snacks, was reported missing on Dec. 17 from his home in Girdwood on Crystal Mountain Road.
Then, on Dec. 29, an Alyeska staff member heard a faint bark as they were heading up the Ted’s Express lift for an early morning shift, said Bayne Salmon, mountain communications manager.
“Later that day, another patroller on staff heard another bark while they were heading up the same chair lift, and upon further review, looked into the canyon and noticed a brown, fuzzy dog deep in the canyon,” Salmon said.
Salmon said a team of five patrollers grabbed rescue gear, found an entrance to the ravine, and — after coaxing Otis with treats — were able to harness him and lift him out. The dog then walked down to the aid room with his tail wagging, Salmon said. Otis got water and lots of love from his rescuers.
Salmon said ski patrollers weren’t professionally involved with locating Otis but stepped in to help with his rescue. He said the team was ecstatic to find the dog after multiple days of below-freezing temperatures.
“It's really positive, you know, jovial,” he said. “Everyone was thrilled to find him and [it’s] just hard to believe how long Otis had been out there, and to find him in good condition was a miracle, truly.”
Instances like this are unusual because dogs aren’t allowed on the ski hill in the winter, Salmon said.
The spot Otis was found in is extremely steep, technical terrain. From start to finish, he said the rescue took about two hours. Salmon wasn’t directly involved in this rescue, but he said it sounds like Otis was a good patient.
“He was not enthusiastic about wearing the dog evac harness, but I think his exhaustion from his long, cold adventure led him to mostly just be still and calm as we raised him out of the canyon,” Salmon said. “Overall, he's a good boy.”
Salmon said he’s heard Otis lost some weight, but is happy to be back home.
