(CNN) When teacher and recreational caver Rick Haley set out to help map a cave on August 6, he had no idea he would end up staging a rescue mission -- let alone reuniting a lost dog with her owner.
Haley, along with a team of around 30 spelunkers, was mapping a cave north of Perryville, Missouri, as part of a project for the Cave Research Foundation. The cave is part of the Berome Moore cave system, Missouri's second largest cave system, measuring around 22 miles, he told CNN.
Haley, 66, who was involved in logistics and managing problems on the expedition, exited the cave to find another caver and an assistant fire chief from the local fire department.
"Glad you're here," the fire chief told Haley. "You can help us do a dog cave rescue."
Another group of parents and children visiting the cave for the day had encountered a dog deep in the cave before flagging Haley for help.
notquiteclapton on August 15th, 2022 at 00:13 UTC »
Everyone is asking questions about the dog but I'm pretty sure if I randomly encountered a cute dog 500ft into a dark cave I'd suddenly be very concerned about an awakened old good or something.
Dan-68 on August 14th, 2022 at 11:14 UTC »
How did the dog manage to live for 2 months in a cave?
mendokusai_yo on August 14th, 2022 at 11:03 UTC »
Poor buddy! 2 months lost in a cave sounds pretty hellish.