On July 15th, WASART received a call about Arlo, a dog who had fallen off a cliff along the Mt. Pilchuck trail. Our team responded with our equipment truck and hiked two miles up the trail carrying the rescue gear to meet Arlo’s owner.
Due to the steep terrain, Arlo wasn’t visible from the trail. One of our attendants rappelled down to locate Arlo and found him 140 feet below on a narrow ledge and secured him for his safety. Arlo was alert, standing, wagging his tail, with no obvious major injuries, and drinking water. The attendant gave him comfort and reassurance and stayed by his side while the rigging team built the haul system above.
As night fell, we worked by headlamp to rig a haul system. Members of Snohomish County Volunteer Search and Rescue also arrived to assist. Once everything was secured and safety-checked, we carefully hauled both the attendant and Arlo back up to the trail. Arlo was reunited with his owner, enjoyed some water and treats, and was able to walk back down on his own.
After a debrief and packing up, our team returned home in the early morning hours.
We’re grateful for the trust Arlo’s owner placed in us and for the partnership of Snohomish County Volunteer Search and Rescue.
This is who we are. This is why we train. This is what we do.
Gus, Horse Needing a Lift Up