Dog saves injured hiker by curling around him for 13 hours in Croatian mountains

A dog saved the life of an injured hiker by lying on top of him and keeping him warm for 13 hours.

Grga Brkic fell while hiking with his dog, North, in the Velebit mountains in Croatia and was left unable to move, local media reported.

Two others who were hiking with him were unable to reach Mr Brkic and raised the alarm.

North, an eight-month-old Alaskan Malamute, curled up with Mr Brkic and kept him warm for 13 hours before they were rescued.

“Friendship and love between man and dog have no boundaries,” Croatia’s mountain rescue service said on Facebook.

It said North “curled around and warmed” Mr Brkic while first responders made their rescue attempt.

A photo accompanying the post shows the dog lying on top of Mr Brkic as he was loaded on a stretcher.

After 13 hours nearly 30 first responders reached him and were able to transport him off the mountain.

“The minutes and seconds before they arrived were so slow,” Mr Brkic told Croatian newspaper Jutarnji List. “This little dog is a real miracle.”

Mr Brkic said North was not harmed by the ordeal.

Croatia’s mountain rescue service warned against taking dogs for hikes in difficult conditions, especially during tough winter weather.