#Miracle ‘hiking buddy’ dog survives 170-foot fall off cliff

He was very fur-tunate.

A Kentucky pooch plunged 170 feet into a gorge but survived unscathed in an incident authorities are dubbing a “doggone miracle.”

“Adrenaline was running through my body, and the only thing I could think about was, ‘Holy crap, he’s alive,’” owner Tyler Stinson told station WLEX 18 of the incredible saga, which occurred Sunday in Daniel Boone National Forest.

The Shelbyville resident was exploring the Red River Gorge with his “hiking buddy” Tyson, a pitbull boxer mix, that Stinson said he “takes everywhere.”

However, their excursion took a turn after Tyson — who was unleashed at the time — started pursuing a lizard along the top of the Indian Staircase. He missed the scaley critter — and ended up toppling off the edge.

“He kind of flipped himself backward, tumbled twice, and then I saw him roll off the edge,” described Stinson, who reportedly watched his pal plummet 170 feet into the ravine.

Fearing the worst, the distraught dog lover dialed 911, whereupon a “team was dispatched” to the scene of the freak accident, per the Wolfe County Search & Rescue Team’s Facebook page. The rescue crew subsequently encountered a group of hikers, who shared a picture of an unleashed dog they’d spotted roaming around the base of the gorge.

The rescue workers shared the photo with Stinson, who confirmed the animal to be Tyson. Shortly thereafter, the team split up and located the lucky pup.

“The minute I saw him, I just folded onto him,” gushed the doggo’s relieved owner. “That dog is my everything.”

The rescuers were especially flabbergasted as they’d initially thought they were searching for Tyson’s body and instead found him alive with just a few scratches, WLEX 18 reported. A subsequent veterinary exam determined that the canine was totally healthy with no internal injuries.

“How Tyson survived 170′ fall is nothing short of miraculous and he was basically unhurt,” wrote Wolfe County Search & Rescue. “This has certainly been a week of miracles in the Red River Gorge.”

Stinson, meanwhile, is grateful for the responders who helped locate his lost dog.

“All i can say is thank you so much Wolfe County Search & Rescue Team for responding and taking their personal time to come out and help rescue Tyson,” the owner wrote on Facebook following the rescue. “You guys are awesome thank you for all you do.”

However, in the future, the fur fan said he’ll think twice before letting Tyson off his leash.

If that wasn’t mind-boggling enough, the miraculous tale occurred a mere week after another similar incident in which a 4-year-old boy survived a 70-foot fall into the same gorge.