About 1:45 yesterday afternoon the Prince George’s County Fire/EMS Department handled an animal rescue at Clarke Avenue and Holly Street in Laurel. A manhole cover had apparently been knocked off by a snow plow operator. This allowed a dog to fall more than 20-feet into the hole.
The department’s Technical Rescue team was alerted and a decision was made to mount a rescue operation. Here is more from an email by PFD Chief Spokesman Mark Brady:
The decision was based on the safety of the members of the community that were poised to enter the storm drain to rescue the dog themselves. There are inherent dangers with such a rescue attempt including poor to little air quality at the bottom of the well. In order to prevent injuries to the community the firefighters had to save the dog the right and safe way.
Using all safety precautions and moving at a very deliberate speed to remain safe, firefighters tested and constantly monitored the air quality in the storm drain and pumped in fresh air. A confined space rescuer donned his personal protective equipment and exercised all precautions while effecting the rescue. The teamwork of the Technical Rescue Team, including personnel from the Tuxedo-Cheverly and Fort Washington Fire/EMS Stations, worked meticulously in setting up a rope and pulley system and when ready, lowered the firefighter into the hole by way of a tripod.
Firefighter Joe Ford was lowered into the hole and recovered the 40-pound dog within about 10-minutes. According to Brady, the friendly dog allowed Ford to attach a harness and the dog was lifted to safety.
At last word officials were still trying to determine the dog’s owner.
