Maryland firefighters make well rescue. 120-pound dog saved by PGFD following 30-foot drop.
Click here and then scroll down for the latest fire and EMS news from STATter911.com
PGFD photos.
The picture above is of Kujo, a 3-year-old, 120-pound Presia Canario, with his rescuer, Prince George’s County Fire/EMS Department Firefighter Travis Lambert (age and weight not disclosed). The shot was taken by PGFD shortly after a successful operation to save Kujo from a 30-foot deep well that was starting to fill with rain water Friday afternoon.
According to a press release from PGFD Chief Spokesman Mark Brady, Kujo had crawled under a rear wooden deck at his Suitland home in the 3400 block of Glenn Drive and fell into the abandoned well.
After doing a risk analysis, firefighters brought in the department’s Technical Rescue Team. Brady writes this about the decision to make the rescue:
Firefighters understand the emotional and important role a pet has in the fabric of a family, however, the risk of placing a firefighter into a potentially hazardous situation was taken into account and constantly evaluated during the course of this incident.
Incident Commanders discussed the risk versus benefit decision and agreed that no member would be exposed to any risk that would be greater then that when the team is conducting a drill. Safety of all members was reinforced throughout the entire incident.
Here’s how Brady described the rescue operation in his press release:
Firefighters set up for their rescue operation as the distressed Kujo constantly reminded them where he was by barking and whimpering. The wooden deck was dismantled to allow access to the well opening. Rescue operations included the application of fresh air into the confined space and a series of ropes and pulleys were set up. Fire Fighter Travis Lambert, a member of the Technical Rescue Team, wearing a safety harness was lowered into the well. Once at the bottom, he was able to apply a rescue harness to a cooperative Kujo. Upon Fire Fighter Lambert’s command, at about 5:1 PM, the dog and the dog’s new best friend were lifted up and out of the well where Kujo was reunited his owner. The dog’s owner stated, “The firefighters just lifted him out of his grave, thank you.”
