In children’s books, the fire department is often called to rescue kittens from trees. In real life, two Chesapeake Bay fire departments were called to rescue a dog from the water. And just like in the cartoons, this story has a happy ending.
The Bowleys Quarters Volunteer Fire Department in eastern Baltimore County reports that it received a call around 4 a.m. Tuesday. Volunteer firefighters were dispatched to Bowleys Marina on Middle River for a report of a dog overboard.
The department says the dog and owner were staying aboard a boat at the marina when they got up early for their walk. The dog leaped from a boat to the dock, but missed the dock while making his jump. The large, long-haired dog was water-logged, making him difficult to lift. As the fire department explains it, “His devoted owner made every effort to bring him back aboard, but the tired pup just couldn’t make it.”
That’s when the Baltimore County-based, all-volunteer water rescue squad Marine Emergency Team 21 (MET21) responded. MET21 deployed a Surface Water Rescue Technician. Working with the owner, the rescuer was able to help the dog back into his boat. The dog was exhausted, but he and his owner were both unharmed.
Bowleys Quarters VFD holds up the rescue as an example of great teamwork.
