An avalanche in Alaska's Chugach State Park knocked two climbers roughly 500 feet down a ridge and separated them from their dog, LouLou.
About 50 hours later, rescuers found the 4-year-old poodle-husky mix alive in the snow — thanks in part to an Apple AirTag on her collar.
Here's what to know
According to Vice, citing Scripps News, an avalanche in Chugach State Park knocked two experienced climbers off a ridge, badly injuring them and leaving LouLou missing until she was recovered alive roughly 50 hours later.
The search then stretched across a wide, snow-covered section of Alaska's backcountry, where rescuers were trying to locate a single dog in extreme cold.
LouLou was wearing an Apple AirTag, and the device helped narrow the search area.
With drone support, the signals gave volunteers a smaller zone to work from, instead of requiring them to search an enormous field of snow with little guidance.
TCD Picks » Quince Spotlight
💡These best-sellers from Quince deliver affordable, sustainable luxury for all
More background
The search also benefited from help organized by Lauren Padawer, the girlfriend of one of the climbers, who was overseas when she first saw news of the avalanche on Facebook and later learned her partner was getting medical treatment.
She then brought together pet lovers and volunteers with access to drones or helicopters to help with the rescue.
When rescuers reached LouLou, she was simply standing in the snow and appeared uninjured despite spending about two days alone after the avalanche carried her off the mountain.
What can be done?
Vice, citing Scripps News, portrayed the pet's consumer tracker as a key part of LouLou's rescue. By sending pings, it gave aerial crews a smaller area to search and made the effort more manageable.
Once Padawer knew the injured climber was safe and in care, she turned to Facebook to coordinate people who had the equipment needed for the search.
A small tracker may not prevent an emergency, but it can make a separation easier to search for, especially in vast areas where visibility and distance work against rescuers.
Where can I learn more?
LouLou's rescue is one of several recent stories showing pups that brave natural disasters and how dedicated search teams bring them home. These stories cover avalanche-trained dogs, drone-assisted reunions, tech-enabled searches, and outdoor rescues in dangerous terrain.
• At Colorado ski resorts, dogs trained to save lives reach avalanche victims faster than humans.
• In Georgia, firefighters carried out a Black Lab trapped in a storm-soaked ravine.
• In Oregon, a cattle dog kept an 82-year-old woman warm until rescuers found her.
Get TCD's free newsletters for easy tips, smart advice, and a chance to earn $5,000 toward home upgrades. To see more stories like this one, change your Google preferences here.
