Tiny pet dog leads rescuers to hiker trapped in Swiss glacier

A small pet dog is being hailed as a "four-legged hero" for helping to save his owner's life after he fell down an icy crevasse in the Swiss Alps.

- Deborah Cole

The Air Zermatt helicopter company credited the dog with drawing their attention to the site of the hiker, from where he was extracted and taken to hospital.

The man and his dog had taken a walk on the Fee glacier above Saas-Fee near the Italian border on Friday afternoon when he "suddenly broke through a snow bridge", Air Zermatt said, sending him plunging into the eight-metre-deep crevasse.

"While the man was stuck in the glacier ice, his faithful companion was left at the edge of the crevasse," the company said, recounting what it called an "extraordinary" mission.