After Archie disappeared during a hike in Virginia, searchers found the exhausted Labrador trapped on a steep mountainside. Getting him down required firefighters, technical rescue equipment, and a lot of manpower.
Rescuers administer fluids to Archie, a nine-year-old Labrador retriever, after carrying him down a steep Virginia mountainside on November 11. The dog had been missing for two days before searchers located him by following his howls. (Photo: Angels of Assisi)
Updated November 13, 2026 10:56AM
When Roanoke County’s technical rescue teams were called to a steep Virginia mountainside on November 11, the stranded subject wasn’t a hiker or climber. It was Archie, a 105-pound yellow Labrador Retriever who had been missing for two days.
The nine-year-old dog disappeared on November 9 while his owner was hiking in the Bent Mountain area, according to Facebook updates from Angels of Assisi, a Roanoke animal welfare organization. After searchers located the dog by following his howls, firefighters from three stations helped carry Archie down the mountainside in a specialized rescue stretcher.
An Uphill Battle
Basit Jimoh, lead surgical assistant at Angels of Assisi, told Outside he joined the search on November 10 after learning that Archie was missing. According to Jimoh, searchers deployed drones in the area that evening, hoping to spot Archie from above, but turned up nothing.
The following afternoon, officials received reports from people hearing a dog whining on the steep, wooded mountainside. With the leaf-covered slope too slick to descend safely from above, Jimoh approached from the bottom, calling Archie’s name and listening for his howls to guide him uphill.
“I had a horse-leading halter and wrapped that around myself,” Jimoh said. “I started climbing, and whenever there was a tree close by, I’d wrap it around the tree and use it to pull myself up.”
Eventually, Jimoh found Archie lying in a ditch beneath a fallen tree.
“When he first saw somebody after being stuck in that ditch for two days, he was really excited,” Jimoh said. “He was wagging his tail. You could tell he was really, really tired, but he was really happy.”
Jimoh and other rescuers suspect Archie slipped and tumbled down the mountainside, although nobody witnessed his fall. The dog was exhausted and managed to stand only briefly after being helped out of the ditch.
Getting 105 Pounds Down the Mountain
Finding Archie was one thing. Getting him down the mountain was another.
“The problem with Archie was that he is about 105 pounds,” Jimoh said. “He’s not a small guy.”
With that much weight to maneuver down a steep, slippery, leaf-covered slope, Jimoh tried using the same horse halter he’d relied on to climb uphill. But before he could get Archie to safety, Roanoke County Fire and Rescue crews arrived and advised that the route he was taking led toward a dangerous drop-off. Instead, rescuers located an old logging trail that offered a safer route down.
The steep, rocky terrain was difficult to navigate without specialized equipment, Roanoke County Fire and Rescue Captain John Richardson told Outside.
Using ropes and a rigging system, firefighters lowered Archie approximately 80 feet down the mountainside. They then placed him in a rescue sled and carried him out to safety. Richardson said 13 rescuers participated in the operation, including four who carried Archie out.
Once they reached the bottom, Jimoh administered fluids before transporting Archie to Angels of Assisi for treatment. Veterinary staff performed blood work and X-rays and provided additional fluids, pain medication, and antibiotics. Jimoh said Archie suffered scrapes and bruising but had no broken bones. He has since returned home to his family.
Takeaways for Dog Owners on the Trail
For Jimoh, Archie’s ordeal is a reminder that even well-trained dogs can get into trouble when exploring unfamiliar terrain.
“I know a lot of people think their animals’ recall skills are great, but sometimes they’re just excited to be out,” Jimoh said. “They want to sniff everything. They want to go everywhere. You never know.”
The American Hiking Society recommends keeping dogs leashed on hikes to prevent them from wandering out of sight, particularly important when trails run near dangerous terrain. Jimoh also recommends attaching a tracking device to a dog’s collar, which he believes could have made finding Archie much easier.
