Dog trapped underground saved after six-hour rescue

A dog that fell more than 20ft (6m) down a narrow hole underground was safely returned to her owner after a six-hour rescue operation.

Scarborough and Ryedale Mountain Rescue Team (SRMRT) was called to the incident in the North York Moors on Friday to help Maisy the dog.

Assisted by emergency services and Upper Wharfedale Fell Rescue Association (UWFRA), rescuers tackled "technical, challenging and very muddy" conditions.

Tony Heap, lead incident controller at SRMRT, said there was "something very heartwarming" about working as a team to free the 12-year-old Staffordshire bull terrier cross from her predicament.

"You could see the tears in the eyes of everybody as that dog came out of the ground," he said.

"Everybody was focused on achieving the best outcome."

Maisy had fallen through several tight gaps which broke her fall, Heap explained.

Retrieving her was very difficult as she ended up wedged between rocks.

He accredits UWFRA volunteers as being instrumental in the rescue efforts.

One volunteer climbed down with a hammer and chisel to widen the gap, before another squeezed through the cave-like system in order to assist Maisy from below.

The team on the surface could then pull her to safety.

"They had to just wedge their bodies across the gap," Heap explained.

"Any ropes would have restricted their movements [and] run the risk of dislodging rocks above."

Once safely back on the surface, Maisy greeted each team member, Heap said, before having a much-needed drink of water.

She was taken to the vets for a check-up, but "by all accounts was doing well", he added.

SRMRT is a volunteer-run organisation that operates 24 hours a day and is funded by donations.

Founded in 1965, it provides services across the North York Moors, the Yorkshire Wolds and surrounding areas.

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