Romeo, a 4-year-old Labrador retriever, is safe and sound after falling 20 feet into a ground crack Saturday evening in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. ADVERTISING Romeo, a 4-year-old Labrador retriever, is safe and sound after falling 20 feet into a
Romeo, a 4-year-old Labrador retriever, is safe and sound after falling 20 feet into a ground crack Saturday evening in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.
The owner lost Romeo, a chocolate brown Labrador, while walking him and another dog, Tommy, off-leash near the boundary of the park and the Volcano golf course.
After being trapped for nearly a day and enduring pouring rain the night before, park rangers came to the rescue and hoisted the beloved pet to its grateful owner, Marta Caproni, on Sunday afternoon.
Caproni, who says her four dogs are treated like family, said it felt like her heart jumped when she saw Romeo lifted to safety with barely a scratch.
“You are crying, you are laughing, your emotions are going wild,” said the Volcano resident.
Romeo also was happy to see her and her boyfriend.
“He was very happy to see us and started rolling over on the high grass,” she said. “There were a lot of people there and he was basically saying hi to everyone.”
After searching into the night Saturday, Caproni returned Sunday morning and heard faint whining deep within the crack and called for help.
Park rangers responded and performed a high-angle technical rope rescue. Ranger Arnold Nakata placed Romeo into a harness as a topside rescue team slowly pulled them out of the ground.
The grateful dog “bestowed his rescuer with lots of dog kisses,” the park said.
Caproni said the Romeo was a “happy camper” after being brought home and was given an extra large dinner that night.
Email Tom Callis at tcallis@hawaiitribune-herald.com.
