A lost hiker at an altitude of 5,000 metres sees a stray dog appear out of nowhere: ‘I decided to follow it and it saved me’

A British tourist who got lost 15,000ft up in Peruvian mountains has described the moment a stray dog rescued him

He was hoping to reach the picturesque Punta Unión pass at 15,000ft above sea level but the route was covered in snow, ice and thick fog.

As he found himself alone, a friendly dog approached from out of the fog, wagging its tail.

The man told Italian newspaper La Stampa: "I decided to trust his knowledge of the mountain."

He wondered what a dog could be doing so high up but was surprised by how well it knew the routes and led him to a sign pointing to his destination.

The Brit explained that when the reached the top the pair waited in silence together for the other hikers to arrive.

When he reunited with his fellow hikers, the dog remained close to them as they continued on their journey.

He said that, incredibly, when they got back to the camp there was another dog waiting for them at the camp and the pair of them continued with the group for another 13 and a half miles.

The tourist filmed his experience on the hike in a video which he later posted on his Instagram account.

He can be heard in the video asking the dog: "What on earth are you doing up here? How did you get here?"

He then points up the mountain saying: "We need to go somewhere up there. Ok you lead the way. If we get lost I'm blaming you, you are in charge now."

Though it is an extraordinary story, locals explained that dogs in the area often follow hikers up the mountains as if they were trained guides.