By . Simon Tomlinson . PUBLISHED: . 12:21 EST, 22 November 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 12:30 EST, 22 November 2012 . All's well that ends well: Brian Saunders with his two-year-old spaniel Iso, who was rescued after falling down a 164ft mine shaft while chasing a cat . A spaniel that fell 164ft down a mine shaft while chasing a cat was finally found after a 24-hour search when his owner whistled into a microphone. Two-year-old Iso tumbled 50m into the empty mine while out with his owner Brian Saunders. Mr Saunders was playing a round of golf when the dog spotted a cat and ran into undergrowth at the course in Redruth, Cornwall. Iso fell into a mine shaft, but . apparently survived the fall after landing on garden waste . thrown in by a local resident. The . pooch is trained to return to a whistle and despite a frantic search he . could not be found and a distressed Brian returned home to Falmouth, . Cornwall. But the . following morning he got a call from the owners of a house near the . course who thought Iso might have fallen down a mine shaft in their . garden. Brian raced to the house to find a 'small army' of firefighters at work who asked him to whistle into a microphone. The sound blared out from speakers lowered into the seam which echoed around the mineshaft. Iso recognised his owner’s whistle and began barking which allowed rescuers to pull him out unscathed. Mr Saunders said: 'They put a probe down the shaft and a chap with headphones asked me to whistle into a microphone. 'I whistled twice and nothing happened, and then after the third whistle, the chap said he could hear barking.' Terrifying fall: The spaniel tumbled 50m into the empty mine while out with Mr Saunders on a golf course . It took the firefighters around an hour to set up their equipment before one of them abseiled to the bottom of the shaft. Iso, who seemed none the worse for wear, was hauled to the surface and reunited with his owner. Brian . said: 'Iso was jumping for joy when he saw me. He was jumping up and . licking my face. I can’t give those firefighters enough praise. Lucky escape: Iso fell into this shaft, but apparently survived after landing on garden waste at the bottom . Losing hope: Despite a frantic search, Iso could not be found and distressed Mr Saunders returned home . 'They were absolutely fantastic. Iso . suffered a cut on the top of his head, a gravel abrasion on his side and . a bruise on his muzzle. 'The vet couldn’t believe his injuries were so minor after such a fall. 'The . firefighter who went down the shaft said it was very spongy at the . bottom, so it may be that someone had thrown garden waste down the . shaft, which saved Iso’s life.' Safe and sound: Iso back home with Mr Saunders. The vet couldn't believe the dog had suffered such minor injuries after a fall of that height . Turning up the volume: When Mr Saunders returned the site the next day, he was met by a team of firefighters who suggested he whistle into a microphone while they lowered a speaker into the mine . Scene: Radnor Golf Club near Redruth, where the operation to find Iso finally ended in success when he recognised Mr Saunders' whistle and began barking, which allowed rescuers to pull him out unscathed . Commander Dave Carlisle, of Cornwall . Fire Service, said: 'West Cornwall is littered with mine shafts and . after heavy rain, adits open up so it is an ongoing problem.' Mr Saunders said Iso had failed to become a police sniffer dog because his first interest is hunting not retrieving. He said: 'He’s the most intelligent dog I’ve ever owned but he’s only two years old. It was his enthusiasm that got the better of him - but he will be on a lead in the future.'
Two-year-old plunged into the shaft while out on golf course with owner .
Search was fruitless until owner Brian Saunders returned the next day .
Fire crew told him to whistle into microphone as they put speaker in shaft .
Iso responded and was rescued with only minor injuries and in good spirits .
By . Simon Tomlinson . PUBLISHED: . 12:21 EST, 22 November 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 12:30 EST, 22 November 2012 . All's well that ends well: Brian Saunders with his two-year-old spaniel Iso, who was rescued after falling down a 164ft mine shaft while chasing a cat . A spaniel that fell 164ft down a mine shaft while chasing a cat was finally found after a 24-hour search when his owner whistled into a microphone. Two-year-old Iso tumbled 50m into the empty mine while out with his owner Brian Saunders. Mr Saunders was playing a round of golf when the dog spotted a cat and ran into undergrowth at the course in Redruth, Cornwall. Iso fell into a mine shaft, but . apparently survived the fall after landing on garden waste . thrown in by a local resident. The . pooch is trained to return to a whistle and despite a frantic search he . could not be found and a distressed Brian returned home to Falmouth, . Cornwall. But the . following morning he got a call from the owners of a house near the . course who thought Iso might have fallen down a mine shaft in their . garden. Brian raced to the house to find a 'small army' of firefighters at work who asked him to whistle into a microphone. The sound blared out from speakers lowered into the seam which echoed around the mineshaft. Iso recognised his owner’s whistle and began barking which allowed rescuers to pull him out unscathed. Mr Saunders said: 'They put a probe down the shaft and a chap with headphones asked me to whistle into a microphone. 'I whistled twice and nothing happened, and then after the third whistle, the chap said he could hear barking.' Terrifying fall: The spaniel tumbled 50m into the empty mine while out with Mr Saunders on a golf course . It took the firefighters around an hour to set up their equipment before one of them abseiled to the bottom of the shaft. Iso, who seemed none the worse for wear, was hauled to the surface and reunited with his owner. Brian . said: 'Iso was jumping for joy when he saw me. He was jumping up and . licking my face. I can’t give those firefighters enough praise. Lucky escape: Iso fell into this shaft, but apparently survived after landing on garden waste at the bottom . Losing hope: Despite a frantic search, Iso could not be found and distressed Mr Saunders returned home . 'They were absolutely fantastic. Iso . suffered a cut on the top of his head, a gravel abrasion on his side and . a bruise on his muzzle. 'The vet couldn’t believe his injuries were so minor after such a fall. 'The . firefighter who went down the shaft said it was very spongy at the . bottom, so it may be that someone had thrown garden waste down the . shaft, which saved Iso’s life.' Safe and sound: Iso back home with Mr Saunders. The vet couldn't believe the dog had suffered such minor injuries after a fall of that height . Turning up the volume: When Mr Saunders returned the site the next day, he was met by a team of firefighters who suggested he whistle into a microphone while they lowered a speaker into the mine . Scene: Radnor Golf Club near Redruth, where the operation to find Iso finally ended in success when he recognised Mr Saunders' whistle and began barking, which allowed rescuers to pull him out unscathed . Commander Dave Carlisle, of Cornwall . Fire Service, said: 'West Cornwall is littered with mine shafts and . after heavy rain, adits open up so it is an ongoing problem.' Mr Saunders said Iso had failed to become a police sniffer dog because his first interest is hunting not retrieving. He said: 'He’s the most intelligent dog I’ve ever owned but he’s only two years old. It was his enthusiasm that got the better of him - but he will be on a lead in the future.'
whistled into a microphone. Two-year-old Iso his owner Brian Saunders. Mr Saunders was playing who asked him to whistle into a microphone. The empty mine while out with Mr Saunders on a golf abseiled to the bottom of the shaft. Iso, who the dog had suffered such minor injuries after a Mr Saunders returned the site the next day, he