A dog who lost his entire family – a young couple and their newborn son – to a deadly mudslide in Ischia, Italy, has been rescued after three days spent in the family’s car.
In the early hours of Saturday 26 November, a mudslide off the coast of Naples. As the number of confirmed dead climbed to eight, and is expected to climb further as searches continue for those missing, a young family was among them.
Giovanna Mazzella and Maurizio Scotto Di Minico were killed by the mudslide along with their three-week-old son, Giovangiuseppe.
The only surviving member of the family was Yuki, their two-year-old dog, who remained stuck inside a car for three days before being spotted by emergency services. The terrified crossbreed had became aggressive, however, and approaching him was far from easy.
“We had to call for the help of vets, who sedated him,” explained Gianni Capuano, one of the volunteers who took part to the rescue operations. “For now, he’s staying at a kennel set up by volunteers.”
Reportedly, a friend of one of his late owners has already stepped forward to take Yuki in. His rescue marked a rare bright moment before the grim search for the bodies of those still missing continued.