A toddler who wandered from her US home survived a near-freezing winter night alone in the wilderness by huddling up to her pet dog.
Victoria Bensch disappeared from her home, in the US state of Arizona, with her pet Queensland heeler on Thursday night.
The three-year-old was dressed only in t-shirt, pants and tennis shoes, despite the cold weather, local TV news station KPHO reported.
But Victoria was able to avoid dying of exposure by holding on to her dog Blue during the 14-hour ordeal before she was spotted by a rescue helicopter at dawn the next morning about a kilometre away from her home.
"She was able to stay warm with the dog," Yavapai County sheriff's office Sgt Jeff Newnum said.
"It's probably what saved her life — it was extremely cold out here."
The loyal dog was initially protective of the girl when help arrived but reportedly moved away when it realised the rescuers were there to help.
"I don't even like animals and I hugged that dog so hard," Victoria's aunt said after the ordeal.
The girl was taken to Phoenix Children's Hospital for an examination but appeared healthy and in good spirits.
Front page
World home
RSS Feed