Missing Dog Rescued From 13th-Story Ledge After Two Days Trapped On High-Rise

May 1, 2026

What began as a terrifying mystery for one dog owner in Sydney ended with cheers, relief, and an incredible high-rise rescue after a missing dog was found stranded on a narrow ledge nearly 13 stories above the ground.

Credit: 9 News Australia

Elbie, a two-year-old Jack Russell, disappeared after slipping through a tight gap on a balcony at an apartment building in the Dee Why area on Sydney’s Northern Beaches.

At first, her family had no idea what had happened.

“We looked around the entire apartment and looked everywhere, every small, little spot, and there was nothing,” family friend James Tomac said. “We started thinking the worst possible thing, maybe she fell off the balcony.”

After desperate searches and social media posts asking for help, a breakthrough finally came from an unexpected source. A neighbor flying a drone near the building spotted Elbie trapped on a ledge on the far side of the high-rise.

The tiny dog had somehow survived for two days without food or water.

Soon, firefighters arrived to attempt the delicate rescue as nervous residents and onlookers gathered below.

Firefighter Joel Spillane carefully scaled the building using vertical rescue equipment while a tarp was positioned underneath in case Elbie slipped.

“He was a little bit stuck, it took me a while to get him out,” Spillane said. “He was stuck in between the awning up there, but he was calm which helped a lot.”

For nearly 20 tense minutes, Spillane worked to safely free the trapped dog before finally lifting Elbie through an apartment window to safety.

As soon as she was rescued, the crowd below erupted in cheers.

“We got him inside, he's drunk heaps of water, they gave him a shower, and I'm sure he'll be off to the vet,” Spillane said.

Not long after, Elbie was reunited with her relieved owner, Jake Dobrin, who feared he might never see his dog again.

“I was over the moon,” Dobrin said. “I didn't know if I was going to see her again, so very happy.”

Thanks to quick-thinking neighbors, determined rescuers, and one very brave little dog, this frightening ordeal ended with a happy reunion high above the streets of Sydney.