Team leader Chris Dunn and Dauntless emerge over the lip of the gorge. Photo: Aberdyfi SRT

A rescue team brought a stranded dog to safety after she got stuck on a crag.

Aberdyfi Search and Rescue Team feared the worst when the two-year-old bitch was spotted motionless on the rockface after spending days in a gorge near Machynlleth.

Dauntless, who belonged to a local farmer, had run into a steep-sided gorge near Aberhosan earlier in the week, and the owners had made a number of attempts to encourage her out or get down to her, all without success.

In the end they called the police on Wednesday to request the help of mountain rescue.

Aberdyfi SRT said, given the time of day, and to maximise team availability, the rescue attempt was postponed until first thing Thursday morning. A group of 12 volunteer rescuers attended the callout, and started the process of moving crag-rescue equipment up the steep mountainside to the side of the gully.

Graham O’Hanlon, who took part in the rescue, said: “At first things didn’t look so good.

“The dog had been spotted late the previous day, and had been quite vocal in letting everyone know where she was, but as we made our way up the hill there was no noise and no movement. I wasn’t the only one who feared the worst.”

Unable to get a good view into the bottom of the gully, it was decided to lower a rescuer into the gorge for a better look.

On the second descent, a small stationary bundle of fur was spotted on a rock ledge, and the team said it looked like Dauntless had not survived her ordeal. However, as the rescuer got closer, an ear pricked, a tail wagged, and all was well.

Dauntless, seemingly fine from her time in the gorge bottom, was packaged into a rescue sack and was hauled back to the top of the gully where she was reunited with her owners.

Mr Hanlon said: “We were all very pleased things worked out well for both dog and owners. We rely on the co-operation and forbearance of the farming community as we go about our rescue business, so it is good to be able to return the favour every now and then.

“Such rescues also provide us with valuable training to keep our rope rescue skills as sharp as they can be.”