Authorities in Massachusetts successfully rescued an 84-year-old man who fell into an embankment around 9:30 p.m. Monday after his dog safely returned home without him.
The man’s wife was at home and alerted authorities after she saw the dog return without her husband, who suffers from mobility issues, according to the Northampton Police Department.
"Today, at approximately 9:30 PM, officers were dispatched to a South Street residence to assist with locating a resident's missing husband. He had [gone] out to walk their dog at 6:30 PM and usually returns in half an hour, however, the dog had returned home with its leash in tow, minus its owner," the Northampton police said in a statement.
The 84-year-old man, who uses a cane to walk, did not return as he had "fallen down a steep 20-foot embankment in the woods and had been yelling for help for hours," police said.
Northampton Fire Rescue assisted with lifting the man to safety.
He was then transported to Cooley Dickinson Hospital with minor injuries, police said.
