LIMA, Peru (AFP) — The only survivor of a military helicopter crash in southern Peru that killed 15 people was a small dog belonging to a colonel who was among the passengers, an air force source told Agence France-Presse (AFP)Tuesday.

Rescue workers found the caramel-colored dog among the twisted wreckage of the Mi-17 helicopter that crashed Sunday. It was lying next to the body of its owner, Colonel Javier Nole, 50, who was on board with his wife and two daughters.

“It’s Colonel Nole’s pet; it’s the only survivor,” the source, who requested anonymity, told AFP.

Local media reported that the dog appeared okay, but as a precaution was taken to a veterinary clinic.

Seven children were among the 15 fatalities when the Russian-made aircraft crashed in the Arequipa region. The helicopter had been recently deployed in rescue operations for victims of floods there.

It had taken off from the city of Pisco, in the Ica region. Rescuers located the wreckage on Monday just over 300 kilometers away near Chala Viejo, a town close to the Pacific coast in Arequipa.

The air force has launched an investigation to determine the cause of the accident.