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Missing dog rescued after falling into abandoned mine shaft, Virginia officials say

Crews rescued a missing dog, named Dusty, who had fallen into an abandoned mine shaft in Virginia.
Crews rescued a missing dog, named Dusty, who had fallen into an abandoned mine shaft in Virginia. Screen grab/Wintergreen Fire & Rescue via Facebook

A missing dog was rescued after falling into an abandoned mine shaft in Virginia, officials said.

The dog, named Dusty, had been missing for more than 24 hours when her owners “finally discovered” her in the mine shaft on the south side of Nelson County over the weekend of Nov. 13, according to a Facebook post from Wintergreen Fire & Rescue.

Crews deployed into the mine shaft to safely retrieve Dusty, which took about two hours, rescuers said Nov. 15.

The department shared photos of the rescue on Facebook.

Rescuers said that Dusty was “scared, tired and hungry” but not injured after she was pulled out of the mine shaft.

“Thanks to the many civilians who helped shuttle equipment on scene,” the department wrote.

Nelson County is about 100 miles west of Richmond.

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This story was originally published November 16, 2021 at 12:05 PM with the headline "Missing dog rescued after falling into abandoned mine shaft, Virginia officials say."

Bailey Aldridge
The News & Observer
Bailey Aldridge is a reporter covering real-time news in North and South Carolina. She has a degree in journalism from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
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