A member of the Frigiliana Local Police managed to rescue a lost hiker thanks to a dog and a sock.
The Frigiliana policeman found the missing 62-year-old Finish woman thanks to his Alsatian and one of her socks provided by her husband.
The curious rescue occurred at night after the Finish hiker failed to return from a hike through the upper parts of the Chillar River. After she failed to return home, her husband went to the police station in Frigiliana where they both live, to report his wife missing.
Local Police officer Francisco José Gallardo Bossini decided then to resort to his dog Reina, an Alsatian who is trained to participate in rescues.
“I told him to bring me a sock from his wife and I gave it to the dog to follow the trail,” explained the Local Police officer, who pointed out that although he has been serving in Frigiliana for four years he still did not know the surrounding vast area as thoroughly as he would like to.
“With the instructions the husband gave me, I left the car in the barrier next to the quarry and I started walking. I was about an hour and a half into the search and I found her thanks to Reina’s help.”
The woman confessed that she had gotten lost and was worried because it was starting to get dark.
“I gave her a sandwich that I had and as I checked that she could walk, seeing as she was not injured, only hungry and dehydrated I contacted the Guardia Civil to let them know that a search team was not necessary.”
Eventually, they both arrived back in Frigiliana at around 8.30 pm where the woman was reunited with her husband.
Hiking the Rio Chillar is a popular pastime for families and groups, but it’s easy to get off track and lost. It’s advisable to prepare well for a hike like this and pair up where possible. Oh and always leave one sock with a family member, just in case!
