Christmas is a time of miracles, and for Sylvia Wynans, a resident of Porreres, Mallorca, her miracle came in the form of an unforgettable night involving her beloved Belgian Shepherd, Rhaegar. What started as a routine late-night run with her three dogs turned into a test of persistence, intuition, and love that would end in a dramatic rescue. Sylvia, originally from Poland, runs EarthChild, a successful skincare business in Mallorca, known for its award-winning plant-based products. On this particular evening, she had just returned home from work around midnight. With the temperature cooler under the clear Mallorcan sky, she decided to let her dogs—Indy, Dalinar, and Rhaegar—stretch their legs in the nearby fields.
As always, the trio bounded off enthusiastically, chasing rabbits in the moonlit countryside. Yet, within minutes, Sylvia noticed something was wrong. Indy and Dalinar returned, but Rhaegar, normally a loyal and responsive dog, was missing.
Her three Belgian Shepherds.
The search begins
Worried, Sylvia began calling and whistling for Rhaegar, a sound the dogs were trained to respond to immediately. The stillness of the night was soon filled with the echoes of her whistle and the chorus of barking dogs from neighbouring properties. Despite this cacophony, Rhaegar’s familiar bark was absent, deepening Sylvia’s concern.
“He’s always the first one to come back,” Sylvia explained. “I knew something had happened. He would never stay away if he could help it.”
She spent an hour and a half walking through the fields, her phone battery slowly dwindling as she searched in vain. Exhausted and desperate, she decided to widen her search by car. Driving through the quiet countryside, she followed her instincts to a specific field where she had heard a particularly intense bark earlier.
During the rescue.
Emergency services at the well.
A bark from the depths
The sound drew her to an old well. As Sylvia shone her phone’s flashlight into the darkness, her worst fears were confirmed: six metres down, Rhaegar was trapped in the water, frantic and unrecognisable in his panic.
“My brain just stopped working,” she recalled. “I couldn’t tell if he was swimming or standing, and my phone battery was about to die. I started hyperventilating.”
Though she felt overwhelmed, Sylvia managed to make a quick call to a friend, which helped her regain focus. She then called 112, the emergency services, and explained the situation. Despite her fear that her plea might not be taken seriously—“This is an emergency for humans,” the dispatcher initially reminded her—the operator assured her that help was on the way.
The old well.
A heroic rescue
Within 30 minutes, two fire brigade trucks arrived with a team of eight firefighters. Sylvia’s anxiety began to ease as she watched them methodically plan the rescue. Two firefighters were lowered into the well, armed with a special sandbag-like device to secure Rhaegar safely. After 40 tense minutes, the moment finally came: Rhaegar emerged, soaking wet but miraculously unharmed save for a small scrape on his belly. In true dog fashion, he jumped out of the rescue bag, shook off the water, and wagged his tail as if nothing had happened. “I’m so glad I didn’t give up,” Sylvia said, her voice filled with relief. “I knew I couldn’t leave him.”
Her dogs—Indy, Dalinar, and Rhaegar.
A Christmas tale of love and persistence
For Sylvia, this night was a reminder of the deep bond she shares with her dogs. Her unwavering determination, combined with the heroic efforts of the fire brigade, ensured a happy ending to what could have been a heartbreaking story. As we celebrate the season of giving, Sylvia’s story is a powerful example of the lengths we go to for those we love—whether they walk on two legs or four. In Porreres, this Christmas, Sylvia Wynans and her three Belgian Shepherds will undoubtedly celebrate with an extra measure of gratitude, knowing that miracles can happen when love and persistence are at the heart of the story.
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