UNHURT AFTER 80ft FALL

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 100, 14 May 1937, Page 4

UNHURT AFTER 80ft FALL

Sheep Dog Spends Week In Disused Well RECOVERED BY OWNER To drop 80 feet down a» old, disusod wejj, to remain at tbe bottom without food or water, and to be recovered a week later without a single burt was the experience last week of a sbeep-dog owned by Mr Arcbdo McKay, farmer, of Tikokino. After this unusual accident, the dog is as good as over, and is working sbeep as if nothing untoward had ever happened. Mr McKay has a large paddoek which has held no sheep for about two years. It contains a well which has been out of use for many years and bas no water in it. It is a narrow shaft, 80 feet from the top to the bottom. Requiring to run some "sheep on this land last week, Mr McKay set about placing planks over the opening of the well to safeguard his stock. One of his dogs wbicb was with him at the time fell down the shaft, and Mr McKay, tliinkipg that no animal could survive a fall of 80 feet, presumed that his dog bad been killed!. He finished the job and went bome. Six days later, Mr McKay and some friends returned to the locality. One of his .dogs began barking near the well, and, much to the surprise of tbe party, answering barks wero heard from many feet underground. Mr H. Gilbooly went down the shaft on a rope, taking a aack with him. At tbe bottom he found the eheepdog which fell down a week" before. He placed it in tbe saqk and both were hauled to tbe top of the well. Tbe surprise of Mr McKay wben be discovered that bis dog had suffered no injuries from its fall may well be imagined. Tbe only inconvenience tbe animal had suffered was ft.total lack of food and water. Tbe story of this accident is all tbe more amazing wben it is realised tbat at tbe bottom of tbe shaft tbe air is particularly foul, How the dog managed to survive an 80-foot drop and tben live for six days in such a rank atmosphere still remajns a mystery.