Colorado avalanche survivor Jacob Dalbey is desperately searching for his dog after losing him in the slide that occurred in the Rapid Creek drainage. Paw prints indicate that the dog, fittingly named Ullr after a Norse god associated with snow and winter, escaped the avalanche and made his way back to Highway 3 in Marble.
According to Denver 7, the avalanche dropped 2,500 vertical feet, breaking around four to six feet deep and 400 feet wide. Dalbey was with two friends on March 17 when the avalanche occurred, one of which, sadly, passed away in the slide. Dalbey himself wound up nearly completely covered by the time the snow came to a stop, with just his right hand remaining exposed. He was able to dig his way out and triggered the SOS feature on his InReach around 5:55 pm.
A helicopter arrived around 12:40 am, and Dalbey was found and rescued and brought to a hospital around 1 am. The Gunnison County Sheriff’s Office and West Elk Mountain Rescue located the missing man under three feet of debris on March 18, the following day.
Dalbey’s friends returned to the rescue location on March 19, recovering some gear left behind and flying a drone to search for the missing dog. He currently believes that Ullr is somewhere in the Marble area, and has placed flyers and trail cameras to help with the search. Ullr’s bed, some food and some clothing were placed in the parking lot where the group initially left the morning of March 17.
“I think in this instance, he’s probably hiding from people, you know, and just looking for me, wondering where I am. But he’s super friendly. He’s a big dog and he looks mean and he’s not. He’s so cuddly and such a lovey, very sensitive dog.” – Jacob Dalbey
Late Monday, one woman reached out claiming she spotted dog tracks that appeared to be dragging some object, possibly the backpack that Ullr wears while touring with Dalbey.
“I know that he could probably survive the rest of his life out there without me. But our bond is very remarkable… I just love him so much. He’s been my pretty much everything for the last seven years that I’ve had him. I got him when he was a puppy. And he’s been through a lot with me. And we’ve had a lot of really incredible adventures. And I know that he’s still alive… I just want him back.” – Jacob Dalbey
Ullr is a 7-year-old border collie mix, weighing around 60-70 pounds. If you’ve seen him, please contact the Gunnison County Sheriff’s Office (970-641-1113), Pitkin County Sheriff’s Office (970-920-5300) or Garfield County Sheriff’s Office (970-945-0453). Help this man find his dog.
Featured Image Credit: Red Hill Animal Health Center via Facebook
