Dog rescued from mudslide after 18-hour ordeal

A dog has survived being rescued from the rubble of a home more than a day after it was flattened by a mudslide in Guatemala.

Nicknamed "el Afortunado", which translates to "the lucky one", the dog never gave up hope despite spending more than 18 hours trapped in his subterranean tomb in Joya Grande village.

Its incessant barking finally attracted the attention of rescue crews, who filmed the moment el Afortunado finally dug free, news website Prensa Libre reports.

"We were looking for people and always, always was this faint sound, like a permanent rapping or tapping," crew member Jose Guerdola is reported as saying.

"We assumed it was someone trapped in a cellar who was hitting a pipe.

"We dug and dug, and we sweated and slaved, and as we got closer we realised it was the barking of a dog.

"When we broke through to where he was he jumped into our arms and licked our faces."

El Afortunado suffered mild shock and dehydration but is on the mend, according to a local vet.

It has been placed in the care of an animal shelter for adoption.

Source: Prensa Libre
Author: Chloe Ross, Approving editor: Kieran Campbell