A dog, who was trapped underground for eight days in a dark damp crevice after plummeting around 40 feet into a gap on the surface of a rock, has been rescued.
Jack Russell, Rose, fell into a 12-inch gap into a rock’s surface on land near Dudley Crescent, Mixenden, near Halifax last Thursday.
Thanks to the tireless efforts of rescuers, with some travelling as far afield as Scotland and Lancashire, the beloved pet is finally free.
One dedicated volunteer only briefly abandoned the rescue mission to attend the birth of his daughter, before heading back out to the hillside to race to save the distressed pooch.
The brave volunteers put their own safety on the line in a bid to save Rose from the life-threatening situation, resorting to using heavy machinery, drills and have even broken several saws.
After being valiantly rescued, it is believed the small Jack Russell was whisked a way to be checked over by a vet.
In video posted to X (formerly Twitter) the heroic group of rescuers can be heard cheering in unison on the hillside after putting their welfare on the line for over a week in a bid to bring the pooch home.
West Yorkshire Fire Rescue Service previously made two failed attempts to rescue Rose, and have urged rescuers to consider their own safety whilst trying to retrieve the trapped pooch.
Footage, which was livestreamed this morning via one of the rescuers accounts, showed dust billowing into the air joined with loud booms as rescuers continued their efforts.
They drilled for hours into the rocky hill edge as they kept hopes high that they would imminently save the distressed pooch.
Worried owner, Nicole Prince, had often been at the scene as teams rushed to save her adored pet, whilst regularly updating the public on the mission’s progress.
In one video, a fellow 12-year-old owner of the pooch, spoke of how ‘crazy’ it was that his pet was now ‘famous’.
‘I didn’t think she was going to get out to start with at first but, I actually think she is going to get out now.’
Chatting about his beloved pooch, the youngster added: ‘She’s very hyper and she just loves going on walks.
‘I just think it’s mad like my dog is famous…it’s crazy.’
Speaking prior to Rose’s rescue, volunteer Mark Tiffin added: ‘It’s a rock face the dog hit a cavity in there and dropped maybe 40-feet and it’s solid stone.
‘It’s not easy at all, even with the big machine in there now it’s struggling maybe getting six inch every hour or so… but we are not far off now.’
Ms Prince also thanked local businesses, who she said played a part in the rescue effort by donating food, equipment, and a digger that ‘has made a huge difference’.
Recently, she posted a video where the dog can be seen being given water via a pipe lodged into the tiny crevice.
Volunteers urged the public to stay away, so they could keep Rose as calm as possible.
Fears have also emerged it may take another ‘four to five’ days free the small brown dog, Lancashire volunteer Kai Newman told ITV.
In a previous update, one of the crew said: ‘Rose is still going strong and got a lot of fight left in her.
‘We’re managing to get food and water down to her regularly. Can’t say how long it will take just yet but they’re slowly getting down to her.’
A man at the site, who didn’t wish to be named added: ‘All I’m going to say now is we’re making progress.
‘I’m not sure when she’ll be out but she’s alive and she’s eating and watered. We’re not 100 percent [sure how long it will take] but she will be out and she will be alive.’
Owner Nicole Prince previously thanked everyone involved despite the ‘odd horrible comment’ on social media.
‘Despite what people think about me there is a poor frightened dog stuck not knowing what is going on missing its owners and warm bed,’ she wrote.
‘We are very thankful for every single share every single person whose taken time out of there day to come and help Rose.
‘Please keep your negativity to yourselves its not needed or wanted!! Now lets get Rose out but can I add the positive outweighs the negatives.’
It comes after volunteers flocked from far and wide to help save Rose, with one man coming from Bradford and sleeping in his van for three nights, the owner claimed on social media.
She told ITV: ‘The lads I’ve spoken to have come all the way from Lancashire and Scotland. They are doing their hardest to get to Rose.
‘They have seen her and given her some water and she’s moving about. We appreciate every single one who has been down helping and continue to help.’
Declan Gallagher, who travelled from Edinburgh, to help rescue Rose told the news outlet: ‘I’ve had my dog stuck before so I came down to help them.
‘It takes days but at least it’s alive,’ he added.
Kai Newman, who hails from Lincolnshire, said: ‘Everyone comes together, and it’s good. You give what you get back, that’s what I’ve been taught.’
As work continued to free the trapped pooch, one rescuer has urged the public to stay away from the site.
He wrote: ‘To anyone that’s going to help today please don’t turn up trying to think of other ways of getting her out as all it is doing is slowing it down by getting in way!
‘If there was a easier way we would of done it just crack on going straight down as we are and she’ll be out in no time.’
The West Yorkshire and Fire Rescue had previously attempted to rescue Rose twice, but where unable to retrieve her as she was too deep underground.
A spokesperson from West Yorkshire and Fire Rescue said: ‘On the first occasion there was no sign of the animal except barking, so we left the scene in the hands of the dog’s owner.
‘On the second occasion our cameras picked the animal up approximately 8 metres into the rock face.
‘Unfortunately, our firefighters could not access the animal within the rock as the gap was too narrow (approximately 12 inches at the widest point and getting narrower), the animal was too deep into the rock face, and we could not drill into the rock without damaging the entire structural integrity of the area.
‘We understand that members of the community are still trying to free the dog, our advice to members of the public as always would be to consider their own safety on the terrain.’
A number of locals showered volunteers with praise, dubbing their efforts as ‘beautiful’.
Local NIk Lon, 18, said: ‘I think it’s beautiful and it shows how nice people are when they all come together to help a poor animal out. I just think it’s really nice of them.
‘Obviously, it’s a shame how she got there. There should be more barriers up there, blocking the cliffs. Hopefully they’ll get her out soon.’
Another resident, Michael Smith added: ‘I hope they get it out. It’s the best thing for it. I really do hope they get it out.’
Shane Dewhirst, who has also lived in the area his entire life, said the community is known for coming together to help each other out.
‘It’s good. The dog is like somebody’s family. Like one of the kids. It’s like of someone’s kid was trapped down there, defenceless and unable to help itself,’ he said.
‘If I could, I’d go down with a digger but there’s nothing I can do.’
A GoFundMe was been set up to help volunteers, who have been using their own equipment in the bid to save the pooch, replace their broken equipment.
The selfless team, who have been working tirelessly to try and save Rose, have nearly raised £3,000 to buy new tools.
Created with the permission of both owner Nicole Prince and one of the volunteers, the description read:
‘The volunteers have been working tirelessly for the last 7 days to free Rose the little dog trapped inside cliffs in Halifax.
‘The boys have had various items of expensive equipment broken and destroyed throughout this rescue mission including jack hammers and stihl saws etc.
‘The tools are the volunteers own and used for their small businesses and are expensive to replace.
‘I’m asking everyone to donate and help these guys replace their personal equipment and help with expenses that have occurred through this mission.’