A dog has been rescued after being trapped for three days in a cave with a bear. Charlie, a hunting dog, became stuck approximately 40ft-deep down an extremely narrow cave shaft in Sevierville, Tennessee, last week. A rescue team arrived on the scene and what they hoped would be a fairly straightforward effort “took a turn” when they found a bear sleeping five feet below the trapped dog, farther in the cave system. The team initially exited the cave and trail cameras were set up to monitor the area, to signal when the bear left. Rescuers returned a day later to find that the 200lb bear had left the cave and not returned - meaning they could save the trapped dog. Waldens Creek Volunteer Fire Department shared footage of the moment Charlie was pulled to safety. Authorities confirmed he was trapped in the cave for three days. He was dehydrated and hungry, but in otherwise good condition.
Firefighter Tori Downing, who went into the cave to rescue Charlie, found he was in even more jeopardy than they thought - being stuck just five feet from a sleeping bear.