Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
Two dogs were rescued when Santa Barbara County firefighters pulled the duo out of a flooded creek during a powerful storm..
A bomb cyclone, supercharged by the phenomenon dubbed the “Pineapple Express,” made landfall in California on Wednesday, dumping several inches of rain across the state.
#DogRescue: Update: Both dogs, appear uninjured, reunited with owner. Creeks and rivers continue to be dangerous from the storm event. Please keep distance from all waterways during the rains and higher creek levels. pic.twitter.com/E8MHaaF5Fe
— Scott Safechuck (@SBCFireInfo) January 5, 2023
Nearly 4 inches of rain has fallen in Goleta, California so far, which has fed the San José Creek. The area typically sees a quarter of the rainfall in an entire year that falls in just days, according to the Montecito Water District.
When firefighters arrived at the scene, they found a dog perched on the edge of a box. The fast current was spinning the box, forcing the pet to cling to the edge and constantly reposition itself.
The concrete barriers lining the creek meant the pup could not jump into the rushing river to swim to shore, leaving no choice but to hang on.
#DogRescue: San Jose Creek, adjacent to S. Kellogg Ave, Goleta, 2 dogs in swift water for approx. 1mi. SBC Fire/Swift Water Rescue, animal control, SBSO. Dog #1 rescued w/FF on ropes. Dog #2 rescued by FF 3 person team, entered water, escorted downstream to safety. CT8:32am pic.twitter.com/1WosaqlWFE
— Scott Safechuck (@SBCFireInfo) January 5, 2023
A three-person rescue team used ropes to pull the dog to the side. Then they pulled the dog safely out of the water.
Another three-person whitewater rescue team waded into waist-deep water to reach a second dog..
Video from firefighters showed rescuers using long poles to anchor themselves. Two tried to block the fast current for the third, holding the dog.
They carried him downstream where they could get out of the creek, and the grateful dog wasted no time jumping into the arms of the man in orange when the group reached the bank.
Animal control officers dried the grateful canine dry before lavishing some love on the pet that barely survived.
Both dogs appeared uninjured, Santa Barbara Fire said, and were happy to have been returned to their owner on dry land.
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