A small dog belonging to a Peruvian colonel was the sole survivor of a military helicopter crash in southern Peru that claimed 15 lives, an air force source told AFP on Tuesday.
Rescue teams discovered the caramel-colored pet amid the wreckage of a Russian-made Mi-17 helicopter that went down on Sunday in the Arequipa region. The dog was found lying beside the body of its owner, Colonel Javier Nole, 50, who was traveling with his wife and two daughters.
“It’s Colonel Nole’s pet; it’s the only survivor,” the air force source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told AFP.
According to local media reports, the dog appeared unharmed but was taken to a veterinary clinic as a precaution.
Seven children were among those killed in the crash. The helicopter had recently been deployed to assist with rescue operations for victims of severe flooding in the region.
The aircraft had departed from Pisco, a city in the Ica region, before crashing. Rescue workers located the wreckage on Monday, more than 300 kilometers (186 miles) away near Chala Viejo, a coastal town in Arequipa.
The Peruvian Air Force has since launched an investigation to determine the cause of the accident.
