Dog Helps Rescue His Canine Sister From Sinkhole In Their Backyard
What was regular playtime for Labrador Retrievers Taco and Tessa turned into a major rescue effort after a sinkhole appeared in their backyard.
11-year-old Tessa got sucked into a 12-foot-deep sinkhole that suddenly appeared. Panicked for his canine sister Taco ran back to the house to alert his family.
David Velesig noticed only Taco came back inside so he followed after the pup, who went along the fence and began barking. David went out to look and saw a small opening and at the bottom, Tessa.
David feared the muddy hole could cave in if he tried something himself so he called 911. When Falmouth Fire Rescue arrived they realized it was going to be a complicated rescue.
When that team arrived they determined it was too dangerous for a firefighter to go down. Instead, they opted for a surface rescue.
“The two-foot-wide shaft opened into a large, undermined area caused by hidden water drainage,” Falmouth Fire Rescue wrote. “Due to the high risk of collapse and the dangers of the confined space, the Barnstable County Technical Rescue Team was called in to assist.”
That meant more workers and tactical adjustments, which took more than two hours.
“At one point there were 36 emergency workers here trying to get the dog out of the hole. And I heard at least a dozen times, it was usually the younger guys, say, ‘I’ll go in, I’ll go in,’” David told CAI News.
They brought a ladder truck and a harness device and lowered it into the hole. Then, to get Tessa to walk onto it, they lured her over using pepperoni. Once she stepped onto it, they hooked it around Tessa and successfully pulled her up.
“She was uninjured and happily celebrated her rescue by finishing the remaining treats,” said Falmouth Fire Rescue.
“She was walking around … she loves attention and she’s kind of slow now,” said David. “She walked to all the different responders, and they were great. They gave her a lot of love. It seemed like everyone wanted to pet her.”
Firefighters filled in the sinkhole so Taco and Tessa are again free to play in their yard, but this time without any worry.
Thanks to Taco’s quick thinking and the heroic work of Falmouth Fire Rescue, Tessa was safely rescued—and the sisters are back to enjoying their backyard adventures, now a little wiser and even more bonded than before.