GARDINER – State Parks announced Wednesday that a dog which was trapped in a rocky crevice near Gertrude’s Nose Trail in Minnewaska State Park Preserve in Ulster County was successfully rescued Tuesday evening unharmed after five days without food or water.
The incident started Thursday October 7 with an Ulster County woman hiking with her 12-year-old dog, Liza, that fell out of sight into the narrow crevice but could be heard barking. Park staff attempted unsuccessfully to access the crevice that evening before dark and made other unsuccessful attempts in the following days to get a camera into the narrow area to check the dog’s condition.
On Tuesday, members of the Ulster County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals were on scene to assist and a specialized plumbing inspection camera from Parks was utilized to reach the dog. Parks received support from the New Jersey Initial Response Team, a regional volunteer group specializing in cave rescue.
Two NJIRT members were able to descend into the crevice to get the plumbing camera close enough to observe the dog moving in a narrow area, and apparently unharmed. One rescuer was able to get a modified, extended catch pole around the dog, which was lifted close enough to be placed into a rescue pack and brought to the surface and safety about 5 p.m. Tuesday.
