I think we can all agree that dogs are the best people.
A three-year-old girl named Aurora has been found safe and well after wandering away from her grandmother’s south-east Queensland property… with the family dog.
Max, the deaf and partially blind blue heeler, kept Aurora safe while she spent the night lost in the Queensland bush.
Aurora was reported missing after she wandered away from her family property at Cherry Gully, south of Warwick at about 3pm on Friday.
Max, 17, followed Aurora and stayed by her side as she slept overnight in bushland while temperatures dropped to 15C.
About 100 police, State Emergency Services workers, and members of the public resumed their search at first light on Saturday.
Then the girl’s grandmother, Leisa Marie Bennett, heard Aurora faintly from the top of a mountain on the family property, about 2km from home.
She first found Max, who led her to Aurora, who had only minor cuts and scratches.
“When I heard her yell ‘Grammy’ I knew it was her,” she said.
“I shot up the mountain,” Bennett told ABC Brisbane, “and when I got to the top, the dog came to me and led me straight to her.”
Bennett’s partner Kelly Benston expressed their relief on social media, saying the little adventurer had been brave during her ordeal.
“She was found off of Old Stanthorpe Rd. Went down a small valley and went up the face of a small mountain and camped there for the night. The dog camped with her. Found around 7:30am by Leisa Marie Bennett and Jaime Tatterton,” he posted on Facebook.
“She’s OK. Few scratches from brush but wasn’t even scared. Leisa heard her from down in the valley on the mountainside.”
SES area controller Ian Phipps said it was a wonderful outcome.
“With the weather last night it’s quite lucky she is well because it was… cold and raining,” he told ABC radio.
“She’s a very hardy young lass to survive that without any ill effects and everyone, all the volunteers, are extremely happy.”
And Max is a very good boy indeed.
With AAP.
Top Comments
Just an awesome Australian story from every angle.
Have to laugh that Queenslanders think 15 c is cold, however the rain chill would have made it feel yuk.