{
  "story": {
    "slug": "dog-survives-50-hours-alone-after-chugach-avalanche-injures-two-hikers",
    "headline": "Dog Survives 50 Hours Alone After Chugach Avalanche Injures Two Hikers",
    "deck": "A volunteer search using drones, a scent dog and an Apple AirTag found LouLou the poodle-husky mix alive near Pepper Peak, two days after an avalanche swept away the hikers she was with.",
    "url": "https://thedailyalaska.com/story/dog-survives-50-hours-alone-after-chugach-avalanche-injures-two-hikers",
    "section": "Life",
    "area": "Anchorage",
    "published_at": "2026-11-04T03:39:49.451257+00:00",
    "updated_at": "2026-11-04T03:39:49.451257+00:00",
    "body_md": "A dog named LouLou spent more than 50 hours alone in the Alaska backcountry after an avalanche swept away the two hikers she was with, and volunteer searchers found her alive on a snowy ridge near Pepper Peak north of Eklutna Lake.\n\nThe slide hit on Saturday, October 10, in Chugach State Park, carrying the two experienced mountaineers roughly 500 feet down a ridge, according to UPI and ABC15. Both men survived but suffered serious injuries, including broken bones, and were taken to a hospital. LouLou, a 4-year-old poodle-husky mix, was left behind in the snow.\n\nFor readers who hike, ski or run dogs in the Chugach, the story is a reminder of how fast conditions can turn even on a clear October weekend, and how far a rescue can stretch when a pet or a person goes missing in rugged terrain outside Anchorage. Eklutna Lake sits inside the Municipality of Anchorage's trail system, a popular put-in for day hikes and a place thousands of residents visit every fall.\n\nLauren Padawer, the girlfriend of one of the injured hikers, was overseas for her father's 80th birthday when she learned about the avalanche, according to AOL's report citing People magazine. After confirming both men had survived, she turned her attention to the dog. She posted in local hiking and pet-rescue groups asking for help, not knowing whether LouLou had survived the slide.\n\nMore than 20 volunteers answered the call, ABC15 and UPI reported, including ground searchers, a scent dog, drone operators and helicopter pilots. LouLou was wearing an Apple AirTag, which gave searchers a rough location, but the device's estimate was off by close to half a mile in the mountainous terrain, complicating the search.\n\nRoughly 50 hours after the avalanche, volunteer helicopter pilots Amanda Barker and Dave Beckett spotted LouLou standing in the snow on the mountainside. Rescue video credited to Barker captured the moment she called the dog's name and LouLou responded. The helicopter landed and rescuers approached her on foot before flying her out.\n\nA veterinary exam afterward found LouLou had lost a canine tooth and broken a toe, but was otherwise healthy despite more than two days alone in freezing conditions, according to UPI.\n\nWhat is not yet confirmed publicly is the identities of the two injured climbers, the specific nature of their injuries beyond serious and broken bones, and whether any official search-and-rescue agency, such as the Alaska State Troopers, Alaska Mountain Rescue Group or Chugach State Park rangers, formally coordinated or assisted the search described by Padawer's volunteer network. UPI, ABC15 and AOL did not name an agency of record, describing it instead as a volunteer effort organized through Padawer's outreach.\n\nLouLou is now home. The Daily Alaska could not confirm by deadline whether the injured hikers have been released from the hospital or identified publicly, and has not independently verified official agency involvement in the search.",
    "sources": [
      {
        "url": "https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2026/10/16/alaska-dog-avalanche/7291792187234/",
        "label": "UPI, 'Dog survives Alaska avalanche, 50 hours alone in snowy wilderness'"
      },
      {
        "url": "https://www.abc15.com/us-news/dog-found-alive-after-50-hours-alone-in-alaska-wilderness-following-avalanche",
        "label": "ABC15, 'Dog found alive after 50 hours alone in Alaska wilderness following avalanche'"
      },
      {
        "url": "https://www.aol.com/articles/dog-found-alive-50-hours-172648000.html",
        "label": "AOL (citing People), 'Dog Found Alive After 50 Hours Alone in Alaska Wilderness Following Avalanche'"
      }
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  },
  "envelope": {
    "story_id": "369804b2-7e08-4e30-b15c-b86a5ef374fb",
    "slug": "dog-survives-50-hours-alone-after-chugach-avalanche-injures-two-hikers",
    "summary": "LouLou, a 4-year-old poodle-husky mix, survived 50 hours alone after an October 10 avalanche near Pepper Peak north of Eklutna Lake swept away two hikers, who survived with broken bones. More than 20 volunteers using drones, a scent dog and helicopters found her alive using an Apple AirTag.",
    "key_facts": [
      "Avalanche hit Saturday, October 10, near Pepper Peak north of Eklutna Lake in Chugach State Park",
      "Two mountaineers were carried about 500 feet down a ridge and survived with serious injuries including broken bones",
      "LouLou, a 4-year-old poodle-husky mix, was left behind in the snow",
      "More than 20 volunteers searched, including ground searchers, a scent dog, drone operators and helicopter pilots",
      "An Apple AirTag's location estimate was off by close to half a mile in the mountain terrain",
      "LouLou was found alive about 50 hours after the avalanche with a lost tooth and a broken toe"
    ],
    "faq": [
      {
        "a": "About 50 hours. Volunteer helicopter pilots spotted her standing in the snow near Pepper Peak and she came when they called her name.",
        "q": "How long was LouLou missing after the avalanche?"
      },
      {
        "a": "A vet exam found she had lost a tooth and broken a toe, but she was otherwise healthy despite more than two days alone in freezing conditions.",
        "q": "What injuries did LouLou have?"
      },
      {
        "a": "Lauren Padawer, the girlfriend of one of the injured hikers, posted in local hiking groups asking for help, and more than 20 volunteers answered using drones, a scent dog and helicopters.",
        "q": "Who organized the search for LouLou?"
      },
      {
        "a": "That's not confirmed. News reports describe a volunteer-organized search but do not name an agency like Alaska State Troopers or Alaska Mountain Rescue Group as having coordinated it.",
        "q": "Did an official rescue agency help find LouLou?"
      }
    ],
    "claims": [
      {
        "claim": "The avalanche hit Saturday, October 10, near Pepper Peak north of Eklutna Lake, carrying two mountaineers about 500 feet down a ridge.",
        "confidence": "sourced",
        "source_url": "https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2026/10/16/alaska-dog-avalanche/7291792187234/",
        "source_label": "UPI, 'Dog survives Alaska avalanche, 50 hours alone in snowy wilderness'"
      },
      {
        "claim": "More than 20 volunteers, including a scent dog and drone operators, searched for LouLou.",
        "confidence": "sourced",
        "source_url": "https://www.abc15.com/us-news/dog-found-alive-after-50-hours-alone-in-alaska-wilderness-following-avalanche",
        "source_label": "ABC15, 'Dog found alive after 50 hours alone in Alaska wilderness following avalanche'"
      },
      {
        "claim": "Lauren Padawer, the girlfriend of one of the injured hikers, was overseas for her father's 80th birthday when she learned about the avalanche.",
        "confidence": "sourced",
        "source_url": "https://www.aol.com/articles/dog-found-alive-50-hours-172648000.html",
        "source_label": "AOL (citing People), 'Dog Found Alive After 50 Hours Alone in Alaska Wilderness Following Avalanche'"
      },
      {
        "claim": "LouLou had lost a canine tooth and broken a toe but was otherwise healthy after the ordeal.",
        "confidence": "sourced",
        "source_url": "https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2026/10/16/alaska-dog-avalanche/7291792187234/",
        "source_label": "UPI, 'Dog survives Alaska avalanche, 50 hours alone in snowy wilderness'"
      }
    ],
    "locations": [
      {
        "area": "Anchorage",
        "kind": "site",
        "name": "Pepper Peak"
      },
      {
        "area": "Anchorage",
        "kind": "site",
        "name": "Eklutna Lake"
      },
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        "name": "Chugach State Park"
      }
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    "people": [
      {
        "org": null,
        "name": "Lauren Padawer",
        "title": null
      },
      {
        "org": null,
        "name": "Amanda Barker",
        "title": "volunteer helicopter pilot"
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        "org": null,
        "name": "Dave Beckett",
        "title": "volunteer helicopter pilot"
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    ],
    "event_dates": [
      {
        "date": "2026-10-10",
        "label": "Avalanche near Pepper Peak"
      }
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    "story_status": "resolved",
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    "disclosure": "Drafted with AI assistance from the sources listed and reviewed by a person before publishing.",
    "generated_at": "2026-10-25T02:43:14.326+00:00",
    "reviewed_at": null,
    "updated_at": "2026-10-25T02:43:14.385459+00:00"
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