The heartbroken owner of a dog missing on a mountain top since Boxing Day has said he fears she may never be found. Nine-year-old family pet Esther had been taken for a walk on Coity mountain near Blaenavon by Andrew Banner and his son Liam on December 26 when she suddenly disappeared from view.
The cocker spaniel had fallen into a deep fissure in the ground, prompting a huge rescue operation by emergency services, people from the nearby community and even local caving club members. However, despite exhaustive efforts to retrieve Esther from the narrow and winding 50 foot drop, there have been no sightings of her to date.
And, while thermal cameras were still being sent underground on Wednesday in the hope that signs of life might yet be detected, 58-year-old builder Andrew and his family have had to resign themselves to the fact they may never see Esther again. "It would be a miracle if she turned up alive and well now," he said.
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"The weather's been so bad, with freezing temperatures, driving winds and heavy rain. We all fear that she would have succumbed to hypothermia up there by now.
"There was speculation she might have found a way out and emerged somewhere further down the mountain. But I doubt that."
Andrew explained that it had been the first time in 20 years that he and his son had visited the location. He added that they'd only done so to attend the Dog Stone monument - ironically, a memorial dedicated to a Red Setter accidentally shot and killed by its master during a grouse shot in 1864.
"Had we not gone up to the spot where another dog famously lost its life, then ours would still be with us now," he said. "I've really been beating myself up about that.
"We'd been walking on a path adjacent to the main footpath when both Esther and Liam's dog Lola vanished. Luckily, rescue teams managed to get a rope around Lola and pull her out later that same day.
"Esther wasn't so fortunate though. And I've since found out that in recent years as many as five other dogs have also ended up disappearing the same way.
"If that's the case I'm angry that nothing's been down about it. Why aren't there warning signs around the area telling people about these numerous cracks and fissures?
"To make matters worse they're covered over by thick heather, making them impossible to see until it's too late. And if they're big enough for a dog to fall down imagine what might happen if some unsuspecting family went walking up there with young children."
A spokesperson for Torfaen County Borough Council said the authority is not responsible for the land and is working with the "third party" owner to review and discuss raising awareness regarding conditions on the property. "Also, the council may put signs up on council-owned areas which contain access points to the land in question," added the spokesperson.
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