.... a chihauha?
A woman who survived a night on a Snowdonia mountainside keeping warm
by cuddling her pet chihuahua has spoken of her ordeal (
Lost Colwyn Bay mum in rescue drama - North Wales Pioneer
).
Beverley Burkitt was stranded on Tryfan for 24 hours after she lost
her phone and then became disorientated while walking the family dog
Pebbles on Saturday morning. Following a search by Ogwen Valley
mountain rescue team she was finally picked up the next day.
She said survival skills taught to her by her teenage daughter Jasmine
helped keep her alive.
Beverley, who has dwarfism and is just 3ft 8in tall, used moss to
filter water and made a giant cross from Pebbles' bright orange
poop-a-scoop bags to help get spotted.
She had ventured out for what was intended to be a short walk at 11am
on Saturday when she left the Ty Coch trekking centre at Penmachno,
near Betws-y-Coed, where she had been staying with her daughter
Jasmine.
But hours passed and Jasmine, 15, raised the alarm.
After losing her mobile, Beverley had got lost in the wilderness
without food, water or camping equipment. "I just took my daughter
Jasmine's advice about keeping warm and trying to keep my spirits up,
talking to myself and my dog Pebbles," she said.
"Jasmine watches many survival programmes like Ray Mears and Bear
Grylls. She taught me if ever I was stuck to find a dry patch, to
stay still, but move about when you are cold to stop pneumonia.
"I made a cross with the dog bags and when I was cold I danced and
sang and shouted out 'hello'. I drank water from a stream and pressed
the water bottle into the moss." Beverley, of Colwyn Bay, said it was
the year-old family dog who helped keep her spirits up.
"Pebbles just stayed by my side, he was just brilliant. He kept me
warm and I kept him warm. He is my daughter's dog, so he also
reminded me of her and that I had to get home."
Rescue crews searched for12 hours before they found Beverley.
"Every time I heard the helicopter go by it broke my heart," she said.
"I could hear [the search and rescue team's] dogs and horses but they
couldn't hear me - it was bizarre. But all the time I knew Jasmine
was doing everything to will me back."
About 45 rescuers from Ogwen Valley, Llanberis, Aberglaslyn and SARDA
searched woodland between Penmachno and Dolwyddelan, but were sent
home at 2.30am on Sunday.
Next morning the search was stepped up and Beverley was found in a
clearing. "I just want to thank everyone who helped," she added.
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