DEARBORN HEIGHTS, Mich. – A dog is resting after being rescued from an open manhole.
“The owner -- when we arrived on scene -- he was frantic, not being able to get to your dog, the owner broke down,” said Dearborn Heights Fire Marshal, Maxwell Mitts.
An early morning walk turned into a heart stopping moment for man walking his dog through Helms Haven Park Wednesday morning.
“Water crews were down there doing surveying. Open manhole cover,” Mitts recalled. “Dog saw some action and ran over and fell down into the hole.”
It was a long was down -- 15 devastating feet. The Dearborn Heights Fire Department knew it was a race against the clock to get the pup out, once they made it out to the scene.
“It was treading water. You can tell the dog was exhausted. On duty crews said the dog tried climbing the later. It wasn’t happening,” added Mitts.
Cell phone video shows the moments a woman with the on-scene water surveying crew had the gear and training it took to go down into the hole to try and bring the pup back up.
“She went down, harnessed the dog. The boys hoisted her and the dog up, [He] got on all fours and did a little run around looking for some food, but it was definitely exhausted,” Mitts recalled.
Not only was the owner happy --
“The owner was ecstatic that we were able to rescue his dog,” said Mitts.
-- but the canine-loving firefighters as well.
“We’re huge animal lovers. Dogs are fireman’s best friend. Just a giant sigh of relief,” Marshal Mitts concluded.
Local 4 has been told that dog is doing just fine right now and is at home getting some rest.