THE REAL LIFE SUPER-DOG Dayko sacrificed his life to save seven people. Screengrab from Cuerpo De Bomberos Ibarra Ibarra鈥檚 Facebook page
A yellow Labrador perished from sheer exhaustion after rescuing seven people trapped in the wreckage of a catastrophic 7.8 magnitude earthquake that hit the city of Pedarnales in Equador last week.
The 4-year-old rescue dog named Dayko has been hailed a hero for aiding the Ibarra Fire service in searching for survivors in the wake of the devastation鈥攁 duty he has been fulfilling for three-and-a-half years.
According to a Facebook post from Ibara Fire service鈥檚 page, the courageous mutt suddenly collapsed during search operations and eventually died from 鈥渕assive coronary myocardial infarction and acute respiratory failure鈥�.
Rescue officials present at the scene tried their hardest to revive the heroic pup, but their efforts remained futile.
Screengrab from Cuerpo De Bomberos Ibarra Ibarra鈥檚 Facebook page
Firefighters who worked closely with Dayko, meanwhile, echoed their sentiments for their resilient friend, as per reports from The Telegraph.
鈥淭his four legged friend gave his life in the line of duty. Thank you Dayko for your heroic efforts in Pedernales and in various emergencies where you were present,鈥� said one of their representatives. 鈥淵ou held high the name of the K9 unit鈥�.
The April 16 earthquake is one of the most devastating calamities in the country鈥檚 recent history, and has reportedly claimed the lives of at least 654 people while leaving 2,000 others wounded.
Ecuador鈥檚 President Rafael Correa, meanwhile, said reconstruction could cost billions of dollars and the impact on economic growth 鈥渃ould be huge.鈥澛�Khristian Ibarrola, 黑料社