If you’ve ever hiked along the Shawangunk Ridge, you’ve surely jumped over one of its many intimidating conglomerate rock crevices. But for one unlucky dog, the jump was too far. On Wednesday, the New York State Parks Department released details of the amazing rescue effort to bring the dog to safety.

The incident started Thursday, October 7. An Ulster County woman was hiking in Minnewaska State Park along the Gertrude’s Nose section of the ridge when her 12-year-old dog, Liza, fell out of sight into the narrow crevice. Luckily, she could still hear Liza barking. Park staff attempted to access the crevice that evening before dark, but were unsuccessful. They made several other unsuccessful attempts in the days that followed.

Then some help arrived this past Tuesday, when members of the Ulster County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals came on the scene to assist, and a specialized plumbing inspection camera from the Parks Department was utilized to reach the dog. And additional support came from the New Jersey Initial Response Team (NJIRT), a regional volunteer group that specializes in cave rescue.

Soon after, relief came. According to the Park Department’s announcement, “two NJIRT members were able to descend into the crevice to get the plumbing camera close enough to observe the dog moving in a narrow area, and apparently unharmed. One rescuer was able to get a modified, extended catch pole around the dog, which was lifted close enough to be placed into a rescue pack and brought to the surface and safety about 5 p.m. Tuesday.”

NJIRT Chief Mark Dickey said, “This was a tight vertical fissure leading to an even tighter horizontal crack. Only Jessica Van Ord, our smallest team member, was able to squeeze and contort herself more than 40 feet from the surface to reach the dog. This incident is a reminder that a single misstep, whether by animal, child, or even adult, near caves or cliffs can be deadly. We were glad to work with the professionals at New York State Parks and the Ulster County SPCA to have the best possible outcome this time.”

Van Ord reportedly had to carefully shimmy along a narrow passage and then used a hot dog hanging from the end of the catch pole to lure the dog over close enough to put her head into the catch pole loop, which allowed another rescuer nearby to close the loop so Van Ord could bring the dog to her.

SPCA officials then assessed Liza’s condition. After five days down in the dark, she was found to be hungry and thirsty, but in good enough health to be reunited with her owner. The parks department said Liza could be seen on camera licking the damp walls of the crevice, which most likely allowed her to stay hydrated enough to survive.

Gina Carbonari, executive director of the Ulster County SPCA, said, “It’s always heartwarming to not only have such a positive outcome in cases like this, but also to see so many people come together, putting themselves at risk, to save an animal’s life. We were all concerned the dog had not survived until Jessica was able to get closer and hear movement. The rejoicing on the surface to that news was just incredible and renewed everyone’s motivation to get this little dog to safety. Every person there played a role in making this happen — an amazing team effort by multiple agencies.”

New York State Police, park forest rangers, Kerhonkson Accord First Aid Squad and Accord Fire Department also were on scene to assist.

Palisades Interstate Park Commission Executive Director Joshua Laird said, “We are thrilled that it was possible to reunite Liza with its owner. This incident is a reminder that the rules requiring dogs to be kept on-leash are an important way to protect loved pets, their owners, and the park’s fragile resources. We are grateful for the perseverance of the Minnewaska State Park Preserve staff, the New Jersey Initial Response Team, the Ulster County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, and the Kerhonkson Accord First Aid Squad and Accord Fire Department for their efforts that brought this ‘tail’ to a happy conclusion.”

In its announcement, the parks department reminded visitors to keep their dogs on leashes of “not more than six feet at all times, for the safety of the animals as well as of other visitors.”