Man trapped on steep cliff was in a life-or-death situation—a German shepherd brilliantly helped rescue him

The entire area was surrounded by cliffs and when they found the man, he was hanging on to the roots.

PUBLISHED JUL 31, 2025

(L) Elderly man holds head in worry after getting lost in forest. (Representative Cover Image Source: Getty Images| Alena Paulus), (R) Alert German Shepherd looking intently. (Representative Cover Image Source: Getty Images| Simona Paciucci)

When it comes to sniffing out the truth—whether it’s danger, disaster, or the missing—dogs prove time and again that they’re not just pets, but heroes on four legs. The Tacoma Police Department is praising their furry pal who helped locate a missing man. According to FOX 13, Gary Christman wandered away into the woods on his own and was eventually lost. The man had Alzheimer's and his family was worried sick when their efforts to locate him failed. The department got their rescue teams, which included a sharp German shepherd from the K9 team and began an intensive search for him. The man was luckily spotted in time in a steep cliff area, thanks to the skilful and brilliant instinct of the canine, who spared no effort in his search.

Man wandering off alone in forest area. (Representative Image Source: Getty Images| Photo by Juliet Lehair)

The Alzheimer's Association reported that it is common for people with the condition to wander. Six in ten people who have dementia will wander at least once, but others may also disappear and go on their own several times. It can happen at any stage of the condition and can be dangerous and fatal depending on the conditions they wander in. Gary and his wife, Amalia, were with their grandchildren on a trip to the zoo. Just as evening was dawning, the man disappeared and ventured into the cliff area. "I still don’t know how he got away from us," Amalia remarked.

Elderly man lost alone in forest. (Representative Image Source: Getty Images| Photo by Dougal Waters)

Klaudina Pasko, Secretary and Team Trainer with German shepherd search dogs, noted that the entire area is “surrounded by cliffs.” The family begantheir search, but in vain. Gary, on the other hand, was wandering further into the steep area and the terrain was getting more and more worrisome. The family dialed 911 and around 40 officers and search and rescue teams arrived shortly to look for the man. Patrol officer Emily Knutsen looked at the CCTV footage of the zoo and spotted the man’s whereabouts. A short while later, two search dogs, Smitty and Fen, arrived with their owners, Jonathan and Klaudina, respectively.

Rescue team on the lookout for missing person in forest. (Representative Image Source: Getty Images| Photo by Ryerson Clark)

The owners took their respective canines and conducted a split search, looking in opposite directions. "There is a really cool transition that you see when they stop using their eyes and their nose kicks in," Klaudina said. A few hours later, there was a clue. "Fen was working his nose and he wanted to go over the side of the cliff," she recalled. She immediately knew that the canine had discovered an important clue or the man himself. The footage shared by the department showed the canine, his owner, and the officers making their way to find Gary holding onto a few roots due to the steep terrain.

German Shepherd alert while wandering in forest. (Representative Image Source: Getty Images| Photo bu Gea Veenstra)

Turns out, Fen had “picked up the sound of Gary’s voice off-trail along a steep cliffside.” "I was not only happy, I was thrilled," Gary said of having seen Fen and the officers arrive at his rescue. Gary had a few bruises on his hands, but was overall safe and fine. The family was immensely grateful for Fen and the officers who responded astutely to look for Gary. Megan, Gary’s daughter, said, "He was holding on to some roots and thank God for Fen.” They even gifted Fen with treats and tennis balls as a gesture of gratitude.