A 15-Year-Old Climbed into an Abandoned Well Shaft to Save Their Dogs. Then They Also Got Trapped
A 15-year-old in California became trapped '15-20 feet' below ground after descending into an abandoned well shaft to rescue their two family dogs on May 24
Emergency workers were quickly called to the scene, where they determined a 'vertical rope rescue' was required
The teen and both pets were ultimately rescued unharmedA California teen got trapped in an abandoned well shaft while trying to rescue their family dogs — and was thankfully rescued by emergency responders.
The incident occurred at about 6:55 p.m. local time on Saturday, May 24, when Nevada County Consolidated Fire Rescue (NCCFR) 'responded to a 911 call reporting a 15-year-old juvenile and two dogs trapped in an abandoned well shaft near the 13000 block of La Barr Meadows Road,' per an official NCCFR press release shared on Facebook.
A video shared alongside the release shows a team of emergency workers pulling one of the dogs up via a system of ropes. A woman could be heard cheering and saying, 'I'm so happy!' once the dog was securely on solid ground.
According to the release, the teen had descended into the shaft about '15-20 feet' to help the two pets but was subsequently unable to climb out.
NCCFR unit 84 was promptly deployed, along with partner agencies from Grass Valley Fire.
"Upon assessment, our team determined that the terrain and shaft depth required a vertical rope rescue operation," Jason Robitaille, NCCFR's Fire Chief, said, per the release.
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"Safety was our top priority, and we implemented a systematic approach to bring all three victims to the surface safely,' he added.
The department said the rescue took approximately one hour of 'careful maneuvering,' at which point the teen and two dogs 'were successfully brought to the surface without serious injury.'
Paramedics evaluated the teen on the scene and determined they were unharmed, though the dogs were treated for 'minor dehydration,' per the release.
"We're grateful for the quick thinking of the initial reporting party and the professional response of our firefighters," Chief Robitaille added in his statement. "This incident is a reminder of the importance of avoiding unsecured structures and calling for help immediately in emergencies."
The fire department concluded its release by urging the public to report any potentially unsafe abandoned shafts to their offices.
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