It took six hours, a hammer and chisel, and rescuers squeezing through a cave-like gap to get Maisy home.

The 12-year-old Staffordshire bull terrier cross was safely returned to her owner after falling more than 6 metres down a narrow hole underground in the North York Moors on Friday.

Scarborough and Ryedale Mountain Rescue Team was called to the incident and worked with emergency services and Upper Wharfedale Fell Rescue Association in what rescuers described as “technical, challenging and very muddy” conditions.

Tony Heap, lead incident controller at SRMRT, said there was “something very heartwarming” about working together to free Maisy.

“You could see the tears in the eyes of everybody as that dog came out of the ground,” he said.

“Everybody was focused on achieving the best outcome.”

Heap said Maisy had fallen through several tight gaps, which broke her fall, but she ended up wedged between rocks, making it very difficult to retrieve her.

He said UWFRA volunteers were instrumental in the rescue.

One volunteer climbed down with a hammer and chisel to widen the gap, before another squeezed through the cave-like system to assist Maisy from below.

The team on the surface was then able to pull her to safety.

“They had to just wedge their bodies across the gap,” Heap said.

“Any ropes would have restricted their movements [and] run the risk of dislodging rocks above.”

Once back on the surface, Maisy greeted each team member before having a drink of water, Heap said.

She was then taken to the vets for a check-up and, “by all accounts was doing well”, he added.

SRMRT is a volunteer-run organisation funded by donations and operating 24 hours a day.

Founded in 1965, it provides services across the North York Moors, the Yorkshire Wolds and surrounding areas.

Read more from BBC News.