Dog survives 800-foot fall

The Chronicle-Telegram

San Diego, California
June 29, 1995
CRATER LAKE, Ore. (AP) – A dog named Bear apparently tumbled 800 feet down a precipitous, snow-covered slope to the shore of Crater Lake without injury, and then hiked back to civilization a week later.

“Anything is possible with animals,” said Crater Lake National park dispatcher Jack Ramsden.

Bear’s owner, Frank Miller, and friend Jeanett Papadopoulos visited the park high in the Cascade Range of southern Oregon on June 19.

Papadopoulos let the 5-year old black chow off its leash – a violation of park rules – to let it frolic in the snow, and Bear disappeared, apparently over the edge.

Two rangers rappelled over the side but found no sign of Bear, other than a small avalanche.

“They looked about two hours before they gave up,” said Ramsden. “The impression was it probably had external injuries and wouldn’t survive very long if it was even alive.”

Rangers gave Miller a ticket for letting his dog off the leash. On Monday, Miller gave up hope and threw Bear’s toys in the trash.

The same day, Bear showed up at the park’s Rim Village tourist area begging for food. The dog had apparently made its way 18 miles around the shore of the lake at the bottom of the crater to the only trail back up to the rim.

“Whether he found chipmunks and squirrels to eat along the way, we don’t know,” said Ramsden. Miller picked up his dog Tuesday to take him to their new home in Ellensburg, Wash