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Lost 10-Year-Old Girl Survives 18 Hours In Blizzard By Hugging Stray Dog

January 21, 2022

A ten-year-old girl who got lost in a blizzard survived the freezing cold night by clinging to a stray dog for warmth.

L: Vika and her mom / Credit: The Siberian Times | R: A stray dog

Vika had got lost about half a mile from her home as she returned from school in Uglegorsk.

She was located 18 hours later, sitting on a mattress below a balcony outside of a shelter and clinging to a stray dog. She told authorities she was "hugging a fluffy dog for warmth."

Temperatures plunged to -11C during the snow storm.

"The fact that the girl remained alive in such weather really is a miracle," volunteer searcher Anatoly Ivanov, told The Siberian Times.

"We were looking all night, nothing was visible at all, our hands in mittens were so cold, it was difficult to straighten our fingers. By morning, we started to think she would not be found alive. How can you survive such a nightmare outside?"

According to ASTV, the girl was taken to a local hospital but able to return home the same day. She was treated for minor frostbite.

Now there are plans to honor the dog that saved Vika -- if they can find it.