Dog Rescued After Week Trapped on Volcanic Crater Lake Cliff

Mount Gambier, SA – A week-long ordeal ended in a heartwarming reunion as Tyson, a missing dog, was successfully rescued from a treacherous cliff face surrounding the iconic Blue Lake. The dramatic rescue operation involved multiple emergency services working for hours to bring the dog to safety.

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If anyone's been to Blue Lake, it's beautiful, but it's really steep, and quite treacherous terrain.

Tyson had been missing for seven days when SA Water crews, conducting routine checks on the lake, spotted him clinging to a narrow ledge about 100 meters below the walkway. The Camilleri family, Tyson's owners, had also been searching for their other dog, Odo, who was found earlier that same week.

Metropolitan Fire Service (MFS) station officer Jarrod Petschel described the terrain as "really steep and quite treacherous." He explained that Tyson had found himself on a "tiny little ledge" from which he could not escape. Reports of a dog barking had surfaced earlier in the week, but its location remained a mystery until the SA Water crew's sighting.

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So he'd managed to get himself onto a tiny little ledge … and he couldn't go anywhere.

The rescue effort required a multi-agency response, with the MFS calling in support from the State Emergency Service (SES), including the use of a drone. Crews established a complex lowering and hauling system to reach the stranded dog. Firefighter Joel Van Eeten rappelled down the steep, rocky cliff face, which featured drops of 20 to 30 meters, to gain Tyson's trust.

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To know there's a chance he might be okay was very relieving.

After a five-minute effort to befriend the large dog, Van Eeten secured Tyson into a harness and began the 30-minute ascent. The reunion with the Camilleri family was emotional, with owner Will Camilleri expressing immense relief. "To know there's a chance he might be okay was very relieving," he said, acknowledging the many things that could have gone wrong. Petschel added that he "swelled with pride" at the successful operation and the joyful reunion, noting that Tyson appeared to be in good condition despite his ordeal, having lost some weight due to lack of food and water.

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Firefighter, Joel Van Eeten, had to make friends with Tyson, and he was a really big dog so that took about five minutes.