After getting lost for 15 hours and had to spend a night in the wilderness on a wintery February day in Central Arizona, 3-year-old Victoria Bensch was rescued by a search and rescue helicopter in good overall condition save for moderate frostbites.
Emergency medic successfully treated the frostbites within an hour, so after all is said and done, Victoria survived a chilly night out of doors with only swollen feet and scratches on her body from aimless wandering. She had a companion with her at all times, their family dog Blue.
The normal body temperature of a dog is higher than a human and Blue, a Queensland Heeler, has a layer of down under his coat to better maintain body temperature under cold conditions. Blue stayed by Victoria’s side throughout the ordeal and definitely played a big role in keeping her warm, perhaps even saving her life. Blue was in protective mode next to Victoria and tried to warn the medic off with the dirty stare that dogs have perfected.
“I think once the dog realized we were there to help them out, he was very excited. He ran around while the medic tended to the little girl, and when it was time to go, he jumped right into the helicopter with her and was ready to go,” said Department of Public Safety pilot Matthew Uhl.
This video is a short news story documenting Victoria and Blue’s misadventure in the woods. It is both heartwarming and inspirational.
