Hiker Hears Cry For Help On A Mountain — He Solves A Months Long Mystery

On May 14, 2023, Mother's Day, Zach Hackett was hiking at about 12,000 feet when he stopped to listen. Under a pile of fallen pines lay a shivering, emaciated black-and-white Shetland sheepdog. Zach wrapped him in a windbreaker and carried him down through snow and a knee-deep river. The next morning, shelter staff learned that Riley had vanished from Mike Krugman's property on April 8, five weeks and one day earlier. Mike, 74, had lost his wife, Pam, a few months before, and Riley slept on her pillow. This video tells the story of the search, the reunion, and what came after, including the pet-care business Zach started and named Riley's Retreat. CHAPTERS: 0:00 A faint sound on the mountain 0:48 Under the fallen trees 1:19 The carry down 2:16 The shelter 3:05 Who was Riley? 3:32 Five weeks of searching 4:05 Mike and Pam 4:37 Found alive 5:51 Mother's Day 6:28 Zach's own story 6:52 After the rescue 7:16 Final thoughts SOURCES: - The Washington Post, "His dog ran off after his wife died. A remarkable rescue ensued" (Cathy Free, June 2023): https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/2023/06/14/dog-rescue-colorado-mountains-riley/ - FOX31 Denver, "Dog missing for over 5 weeks found alive on remote mountain" (May 28, 2023): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHxUjpcwFqc - Summit Daily News, "A Breckenridge man saved a dog's life. When the story went viral, it changed his life" (Ryan Spencer, June 15, 2023): https://www.summitdaily.com/news/a-breckenridge-man-saved-a-dogs-life-when-the-story-went-viral-it-changed-his-life - PETA, "Hiker Hero! Local Man Nabs PETA Award for Saving Missing Dog" (June 12, 2023): https://www.peta.org/media/news-releases/hiker-hero-local-man-nabs-peta-award-for-saving-missing-dog/ Photos and clips of Zach, Mike and Riley come from news coverage of the rescue. Stock footage is illustrative only and does not show Riley, Zach or Mike. This happened in 2023, and the details above follow the sources listed. #DogRescue #LostDog #TrueStory