Missing Girl Survives Snowstorm by Hugging Stray Dog for 18 Hours [Video]

• A 10-year-old girl in Russia survived a freezing blizzard by clinging to the warmth of a stray dog.
• After leaving school at around 1pm, the girl got lost as a snowstorm overtook her.
• She was found miraculously alive the following morning and suffered only a minor frostbite.

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A missing 10-year-old girl managed to survive overnight in a snowstorm in Russia. The girl said she hugged a stray dog for 18 hours to stay warm.

After going missing from school in Uglegorsk, Russia, a team of authorities and volunteers started a search party, local newspapers reported. The girl was caught in the freezing winter blizzard and clung to the warmth of the stray dog before she was found.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZoS4Wgewrac

Vika went missing around 1 p.m. on Jan. 13. Her mother called the police and reported her missing.

The blizzard had led to up to 2 feet of snowdrifts and poor visibility. A search party was formed to scour the town to try to find the girl. Finally, a tip came from a local resident who recalled seeing a girl playing with a stray dog near a shelter.

Thankfully, Vika was appropriately dressed for the cold. She was found under a low balcony hugging the animal as both sat on a mattress. The girl said she was “hugging a fluffy dog for warmth.”

“The fact that the girl remained alive in such weather really is a miracle,” volunteer searcher Anatoly Ivanov, told the newspaper. 

“We were looking all night, nothing was visible at all, our hands in mittens were so cold, it was difficult to straighten our fingers. By morning, we started to think she would not be found alive. How can you survive such a nightmare outside?”

According to Russian media outlet, ASTV, the girl was taken to a local hospital and was able to return home the same day. We’re hoping the dog was also taken care of and removed from the cold weather.

It was a miracle, indeed! That stray must be an angel in a dog form. Who knows?

Source: USA Today