Heartwarming rescue as Jack Russell saved from 13th floor ledge of Dee Why apartment building after two days stranded
‘It’s a Hollywood moment, isn’t it, really? Unbelievable.’
A Jack Russell has been dramatically rescued from a 13th floor ledge after being stranded for two days at a Sydney apartment block in a rescue operation that had onlookers holding their breath.
Ellbie went missing on Anzac Day after escaping from an Dee Why apartment on the other side of the building, sparking a frantic search by her owner’s son Jake Dobrin, who was looking after the dog for the first time while his father was overseas in Thailand.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Jack Russell rescued from 13th floor ledge
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.“I was scared for number one for my life and also for my dog’s life,” the owner’s son Jake Dobrin said.
“The poor fella, I must have called him a hundred times. Funnily enough, this was a test for him,” owner Alex Dobrin said.
Jake went out for the afternoon, but when he got back, Ellbie was gone. He immediately put up flyers offering a reward for her safe return.
“Did she go through the gap? We said, well, she can’t because she’s too fat,” Alex said.
The breakthrough came on Monday morning when Fernando Westin spotted one of the flyers and decided to send his drone up to search the building.
“I go inside all the balconies and then when I go to this side, she was here,” Westin said.
The tiny dog had somehow walked about 40 metres along the building’s exterior to the north-west side, ending up wedged between a window and metal bars outside resident Marty’s apartment who had his blinds down all weekend.
“Opened up the blind, looked over the edge and there was a poor little bugger,” he said.
Ellbie was petrified and refused to move but with a delicate touch and determination during a three-hour rescue operation, she was passed back inside through the window by firefighters.
“We want to do our best to save its life. So, yeah, I’m glad we did that today,” one firefighter said.
“It’s a Hollywood moment, isn’t it, really? Unbelievable,” owner Alex said.
Jake was overwhelmed with relief.
“I was over the moon, you know. I thought, I didn’t know I was going to see her again,” he said.
After more than 48 hours on the ledge, Ellbie was very hungry and thirsty. She has since been fed, given water, showered and taken to the vet as a precaution.
The lucky pup now has her very own Anzac tale to tell.
Originally published on 7NEWS
