After days of searching for missing Doberman, Rocco, his family were devastated to hear he had been located after falling off the mountain.

However, one heroic mans actions has meant that the grieving family have been given closure.

Nigel Appleton who was up in the Lake District, but is from Ripon, joined the Facebook group trying to locate Rocco, which was set up by his owners Lois Sands and Matthew Draper, from Liverpool.

Nigel informed Lois and Matthew that he had found Rocco close to Crinkle Crags, where he went missing, but he had sadly passed away. Lois said: "We didn’t believe it at all because we’ve been getting so many hoax calls saying similar things but he sent us his location and photo of Roccos harness and we knew straight away."

Nigel told the couple that Rocco fallen into a space that you could easily miss, he pulled him out and bravely carried Rocco on his shoulders all the way down the mountain.

Lois and Matthew rushed to the mountain as their friends who were already there, witnessed Nigel bringing him down. Lois' friends said that Nigel was so upset but pushed on and brought him all the way down.

Mountain Rescue arrived and put Rocco into a private space and covered him up until Lois and Matthew got there and confirmed that it was Rocco. Lois said: "We are unbelievably grateful for what Nigel has done, he has allowed us to put our boy to rest peacefully at home and end the constant pain we had all this week."

"Mountain Rescue said it was likely that Rocco had fallen and passed away instantly from the impact so did not suffer."

Lois shared a loving tribute to Rocco, she said:

"He really was the most loving dog, he had his own group of friends he met up with everyday they would bark at the back garden gates for eachother, and in his short little life he sure did spend it full of adventures, he’s been to so many places and seen so many views and now he has the best view of all from up in heaven."