She’s a survivor ❤️
A search and rescue crew scouring the devastation left behind in the wake of Hurricane Helene in Tennessee made a heartening discovery this week.
Days after the deadly storm and ensuing floods, they found a furry survivor with an incredible story to tell.
While searching near the washed-out banks of the Nolichucky River, crews from the Kingsport Fire Department and Murfreesboro Police Department spotted a solitary dog high overhead.
“[She was] stranded around 20 feet up,” the fire department wrote.
It is believed that the dog had been swept up by the swollen river after Hurricane Helene hit, managing to stay afloat atop of a raft of debris, which then became enmeshed in the then-half-sunken tree.
When the water subsided, however, the poor pup had no way to get down.
Fortunately for her, help had arrived.
Using a ladder, the rescue crew was able to free the dog from her lofty perch.
“After retrieving the dog, who was happily removed from the tree, rescuers were able to feed her,” they wrote.
The dog, who appeared to be in remarkably good health despite her ordeal, was now safe — posing happily along with the search and rescue crew who’d saved her.
Later, the dog, whose name is Athena, was taken to a local animal shelter for safe keeping until her family could be located.
According to a report from news station WCYB shared by the fire department, Athena has since been reunited with her family — a happy ending to an incredible story of survival, and a ray of hope for a hard-hit community.
