The Air Zermatt crew experienced an extraordinary mission on the Fee Glacier above Saas-Fee on Friday afternoon. A man fell into a crevasse around eight metres deep. It was his little Chihuahua, of all things, that probably saved his life.
The man was travelling on the Fee Glacier with his little dog in the early afternoon when he suddenly broke through a snow bridge and fell into a crevasse. While the man was stuck in the glacier ice, his faithful companion, a small Chihuahua, was left at the edge of the crevasse.
Luckily, for him, the accident victim was carrying an amateur walkie-talkie with which he was able to call for help. A person nearby happened to receive the emergency call, but was unable to localise the exact location of the accident. At 3.00 pm, an Air Zermatt crew with three KWRO rescue specialists on board then took off in the direction of the Fee Glacier. On site, the search for the collapse site proved difficult. The glacier surface was wide and the hole was barely visible.
Then a decisive moment: one of the rescue specialists spotted a small movement on a rock: the Chihuahua! Right next to it was the collapse hole through which the man had fallen into the crevasse. Thanks to the dog’s behaviour, the crew was able to locate the exact site of the accident. The rescuers abseiled down to the casualty and were able to save him. Patient and dog were flown to hospital in Visp.
