Nanaimo firefighters rescue dog trapped in drainage pipe
A small dog is now safe after Nanaimo, B.C., firefighters and city staff received a "yelp for help" from inside a drainage pipe on Canada Day.
Nanaimo Fire Rescue says a small dog, named Dobby, was stuck inside a drainage pipe early Friday and the animal was at a serious risk of drowning.
Assistant fire Chief David Dales says the fire department received a 911 call from the dog's owner, who was "extremely distressed."
Firefighters and city workers headed to the scene and tried to locate Dobby, who they could hear yelping from inside the drain system.
"[Fire officers] were opening manhole covers because they could hear the dog yelping," said Dales.
"As they were popping off manhole covers they were getting closer," he said. "Then they were able to visualize where the dog was trapped."
Dales says Dobby must have entered the drainage system through a horizontal pipe.
"Because [the pipe] was very small, the dog was unable to turn around, so it kept moving forward," said the assistant fire chief.
The drain that Dobby was trapped in is shown. (Nanaimo Fire Rescue/Twitter)
Dales says the dog kept moving forward until it got to an area where several drainage pipes meet, which creates a deep well of water.
"The dog was stuck there trying to swim," said Dales. "The dog was very close to drowning, so the firefighters collectively devised a plan."
Firefighters covered a 45-metre (150 foot) fire hose with a blanket and plugged its nozzle with the hope that 12-year-old Dobby would be able to grab onto it.
Firefighters then partially filled the hose with water and sent it down the pipe. Fortunately, Dobby was able to grab onto the blanket-covered hose and crews slowly pulled the hose back out of the pipe.
The blanket-covered hose is pictured. (Nanaimo Fire Rescue/Twitter)
Dales says the dog was "exhausted and needed a bath" but was otherwise unharmed.
Dobby's owners are extremely grateful and neighbours have put up a screen on the pipe that Dobby entered through, Dales believes.
The assistant fire chief says he's proud of the firefighters who responded and that he understands the rescue needed some "ingenuity and creativity."
Twelve-year-old Dobby is shown being rescued by firefighters. (Nanaimo Fire Rescue/Twitter)
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Toronto Raptors player Jontay Porter banned from NBA
Toronto Raptors player Jontay Porter has been handed a lifetime ban from The National Basketball Association (NBA) following an investigation which found he disclosed confidential information to sports bettors, the league says.
BREAKING Former Air Canada employees among suspects identified in gold heist at Pearson airport: police
Police say one former and one current employee of Air Canada are among the nine suspects that are facing charges in connection with the gold heist at Pearson International Airport last year.
Earthquake jolts southern Japan
An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.4 hit southern Japan late on Wednesday, said the Japan Meteorological Agency, without issuing a tsunami warning.
MPs summon ArriveCan contractor to the House to be admonished in rare parliamentary display
Enacting an extraordinarily rarely used parliamentary power, MPs have summoned an ArriveCan contractor to appear before the House of Commons on Wednesday afternoon to be admonished publicly for failing to answer their questions.
opinion Don Martin: Gusher of Liberal spending won't put out the fire in this dumpster
A Hail Mary rehash of the greatest hits from the Trudeau government’s three-week travelling pony-show, the 2024 federal budget takes aim at reversing the party’s popularity plunge in the under-40 set, writes political columnist Don Martin. But will it work before the next election?
Gas prices across Ontario expected to climb to levels not seen since 2022, analyst says
Ontario is going to see a big jump at the pumps later this week as gas prices in the province hit levels not seen in nearly two years, according to one industry analyst.
Ancient skeletons unearthed in France reveal Mafia-style killings
More than 5,500 years ago, two women were tied up and probably buried alive in a ritual sacrifice, using a form of torture associated today with the Italian Mafia, according to an analysis of skeletons discovered at an archaeological site in southwest France.
Paul McCartney and John Lennon’s sons have released a single together
A new Lennon and McCartney collaboration is the last thing anybody expected.
Some millennials say federal budget was 'a letdown' amid cost of living struggles
It’s a picture-perfect scene: Adam and Maria Reynolds are playing with their daughters inside their Port Coquitlam, B.C. home. Watching them together, you might not realize the Reynolds household is stretched to its limit.