Search Continues for Dog Stuck in Ravine

They call him Lucky, but time’s running out for the 9-year-old golden retriever who fell down a ravine in Los Padres National Forest on Thursday.

Lucky was hiking with Bill Canty, 50, of Casitas Springs, when the dog fell into a ravine. Canty hiked down to help him, but couldn’t get the 75-pound Lucky--who may have broken a leg--back up to the trail.

Canty, whose wife reported her husband missing from Reyes Peak Campground on Thursday afternoon, opted to spend the night with his companion. The Sheriff Department’s search-and-rescue team, aided by a helicopter, was unable to locate Canty and Lucky that night.

In the morning, the uninjured Canty heard a helicopter in the distance and hiked toward it after leaving Lucky with a sweatshirt for warmth. But Canty was unfamiliar with the terrain and once in the helicopter he was unable to lead rescuers to the hapless Lucky.

Sheriff’s helicopters continued searching for the injured canine until late in the afternoon. Rescuers on foot are expected to continue the search into the night, authorities said.