A Colorado hiker who went missing in August was found dead last month on a rugged peak in the Rocky Mountains — but his Jack Russell terrier miraculously survived, and remained perched next to his dead owner for months.
Rich Moore, 71, of Pagosa Spring, Colorado, climbed the 12,500-foot mountain on Aug. 19, but never returned home, according to Fox News.
Search and rescue crews descended by helicopter and combed the forest just below the peak, then moved toward the trail, where they found his car, the outlet reported.
But they couldn’t find the man – despite spending more than 2,000 hours looking for him, reports said.
That was until about two weeks ago, on October 30, when a hunter found Moore’s body more than two miles east of the summit — along with his Jack Russell terrier, Finney.
Somehow, Finney has survived more than two months in the wilderness — and hasn’t left his owner’s side.
Rich Moore, 71, of Pagosa Spring, Colorado, climbed the 12,500-foot mountain on August 19. Missing Persons Organization of Colorado
Dozens of people took to social media to offer their condolences to the Moore family and hailed Finney as a “hero.”
“So sad, yet so beautiful that Jack Russell stayed with her for these few weeks…Sometimes tragedy reminds us of the bond between humans and their best friends,” wrote one person on Facebook.
“I’m sorry this man died but I’m glad his dog was by his side the whole time. And I’m glad the dog survived. Humans don’t deserve dogs. This loyal friend stayed with his best friend until they took him and his best friend left,” wrote another.
Many have expressed how surprising it is that the Jack Russell survived – perhaps relying on an untrained hunting instinct to catch small prey – in an effort to stay by Moore’s side.
“There’s no love like the unconditional love of a dog. Loyalty like that,” said one.
According to Chaffee County Search and Rescue North, Moore was unprepared when he reached the top of a 13,000-foot peak in the Cottonwood Lake area, near Buena Vista, on Nov. 8.
The man’s body was found on a rugged peak in the Rocky Mountains.Scrubhiker / Flickr
Moore was wearing only a cotton hooded sweatshirt, with no water or food left.
Investigators do not know how the man died, but they do not suspect foul play, People reported. Moore’s body was taken off the mountain on Halloween.
The terrain where Moore was found was so steep that rescuers – including a certified K9 – were put to the top of the mountain by helicopter.
Finney was taken to the vet, and later reunited with his family.
The Moore family, for their part, is “glad they got closure, and got their dog home,” Taos Search and Rescue said on Facebook.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
