����vlog

A man in Ogden, Utah, is recovering after a harrowing experience in the Uinta Mountains while hunting with his dog.Jacob Schmitt was searching for deer when his side-by-side vehicle tipped over, leaving him stranded and injured."The machine flipped probably 15-20 times," Schmitt told KSTU, adding, "probably the second or third flip is when it kind of sort of ragdolled me out."His dog, Buddy, was in a kennel in the back of the side-by-side."When I came to and stuff and started to do kind of damage control, he was sort of just there staring at me without a scratch, which, you know, almost makes me emotional, but it's like unreal," Schmitt said of Buddy.While Buddy was safe, Schmitt realized he had lost his phone and radio, making it difficult to call for help. "At some point, you just go, like, 'Am I just supposed to lay here and die? Like, I got to get myself out," Schmitt said.With daylight fading, Schmitt splinted his own leg and decided to crawl down the mountain, guided by a light on Buddy's collar. After 11 grueling hours, he and his loyal best friend reached his vehicle and drove to a nearby diner, where he encountered Yenni Saiz, who immediately recognized the urgency of the situation."He was like, 'Can you call 911, please? And my heart kind of dropped. I knew something was bad because of, like, the scratches and his, I can just tell he was in pain." Saiz said.She called for help and stayed with Schmitt until first responders arrived.The fire department took care of Buddy while Schmitt was transported to the hospital, where he was treated for broken ribs and ankles.After a four-day hospital stay, Schmitt returned home with Buddy by his side."The thing that loves you unconditionally is just there, essentially. And he keeps checking on you. It's like the biggest spirit jump," Schmitt said of Buddy and his loyalty. "I had my best friend to, you know, crawl out with me, essentially. So it was unreal." See more in the video player above.