08/25/2026
A family’s car overturned on a highway in British Columbia, sending their terrified Australian shepherd, Daisy, fleeing into the nearby forest. She remained missing for three days as her family searched urgently and held onto hope that she would return.
Forrest Kellerman, a Central Okanagan Search and Rescue volunteer, heard about Daisy while handling a separate call in the area. Locating missing animals wasn’t among the organization’s official responsibilities, but he couldn’t forget her story.
Forrest has two Australian shepherds of his own, so he chose to assist the family. During his free time on Sunday and Monday, he carefully checked the logging routes and wooded land surrounding the collision site. Despite his efforts, he found no trace of Daisy.
On Tuesday evening, Forrest and his wife, Tracey, went back for a final attempt.
Around 7 p.m., Tracey noticed an astonishing sight. Daisy was calmly sitting in the passenger seat of one of the vehicles from the crash.
The devoted dog had survived three nights by herself in the wilderness. Somehow, she had navigated back to the spot where she’d last been with her family and settled inside the vehicle to wait.
Forrest immediately notified Daisy’s owners, who were continuing their search nearby. They arrived shortly afterward and were finally reunited with their beloved companion.
Recovering lost pets may fall outside the usual role of search-and-rescue teams, but the abilities volunteers develop can occasionally lead to extraordinary outcomes.
For Daisy’s anxious family, those efforts meant their dog was finally coming home.
