RICHLANDS, VA (LOOTPRESS) – Authorities with the Tazewell County Sheriff’s Office along with emergency responders in the area engaged in a particularly memorable rescue mission last week when a dog was discovered trapped in a sinkhole.
According to the Tazewell County Sheriff’s Office, a 911 call was received last week indicating that a dog was stranded inside a sinkhole spanning dozens of feet in depth and 7 feet in width in the Richlands area of Tazewell County.
The report saw responses from the Tazewell County Sheriff’s Office as well as the Richlands Fire & Rescue squad, all of whom made their way to the scene to offer assistance to the animal. Upon arriving at the scene and assessing the situation, responders were limited on options with regard to how best to proceed in the rescue of the trapped pup.
With no other rescue options at the disposal of responding entities, a harness was made to facilitate the retrieval. Deputy Ray Smith of the Tazewell County Sheriff’s Office is noted for having volunteered to be lowered into the sinkhole by the makeshift harness in order to move the rescue forward.
Deputy Smith was, in fact, successful in his attempts at retrieving the trapped dog upon being lowered into the sinkhole. Smith, along with Sgt. Scott Davis, is reported to have brought skills and knowledge obtained from past Search and Rescue training which contributed to the rescue mission.
“We appreciate all the help from our fire and rescue partners, as well as Mr. Daniel Hurt who called this in and helped in the rescue,” read the statement in part.
Additional LOOTPRESS coverage of the Tazewell County area can be found here.
Deputy lowered 60 ft by makeshift harness to rescue dog trapped in sinkhole
