A dog had to be winched to safety by a search and rescue team after getting trapped in an old mine near Machynlleth on Saturday.

Aberdyfi Search and Rescue Team responded to a call from the fire service at around 1.30pm to help rescue the pooch, which was trapped in old lead mine-workings at Dylife.

Once on scene, a team volunteer - Glenn Morris - was lowered over the crumbling silty lip of the shaft to reach the dog on a ledge a few metres down.

The fall below the ledge was much bigger, so the team worked quickly to ensure the dog’s safety.

The team said the dog was “very pleased to see the red jacket” and “co-operated beautifully”.

“The dog was quickly loaded into a bag for transport upwards,” the team said.

“Both rescuer and dog were a little dirtier for their troubles and, while the dog was passed back to its owners, the rescuer was hosed down.”

Graham O’Hanlon, who attended the rescue, said: “The rescue of animals is not strictly within the scope of the team’s operation and for some animals, not within the capability of the equipment we use.

“Each request is assessed on its own merits and volunteers are made fully aware of the individual situation.

“In this case, the need for a technical rope system to access the old mine shaft provided an excellent training opportunity. The dangerous steps that the owners had already taken to access the dog themselves, and would continue to do so, meant there was a significant risk to human life if we declined to help."

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