Dog Stays With Lost Three-Year-Old Overnight, Leads Rescuers To Her

A three-year-old girl was rescued after spending a night lost in the wooded mountainous area around her rural home in Queensland, Australia. The young girl was not alone during the 15-hour ordeal in the cold, wet weather. She had a companion in Max, a 17-year-old Blue Heeler that is deaf and partially blind.

Police said that Aurora wandered off into the woods around 3 pm on Friday afternoon. By Saturday morning, hundreds of people showed up to help search the property for the missing girl. According to ABC.net.au her grandmother Leisa Bennett could hear the girl calling for help near a mountain on the property. When she made her way to the top of the mountain she found Max, who led her to the missing girl. 

"When I heard her yell 'Grammy' I knew it was her," she said.

"I shot up the mountain ... and when I got to the top, the dog came to me and led me straight to her."

Rescuers found her a little over a mile from her home, which was part of the family's property. 

"The area around the house is quite mountainous and is very inhospitable terrain to go walking in, so she'd travelled quite a distance with her dog that was quite loyal to her,"  State Emergency Service area controller Ian Phipps said.

Aurora suffered a few cuts but was in good health. 

"She's a very hardy young lass to survive that without any ill effects and everyone, all the volunteers are extremely happy."

Photo: Queensland Police