Photo: Cool Branch Volunteer Fire Co/WSET
FRANKLIN COUNTY, Va. (WSET) — Members of the Cool Branch Volunteer Fire Company and Volunteer Rescue Squad swooped in Wednesday to save a dog that fell 80-feet down a well in Franklin County.
Cool Branch VFC Asst. Chief Brandon Gautier says people were out for a walk with their dog in a rural area near Smith Mountain Lake when they heard a board break.
After investigating the noise and calling the dog, they came across an old hand-dug well. The well had been boarded over, but the dog climbed on top of it and fell through.
A tripod was erected and used as a high point for a rescuer to enter the well. The crew developed a rope system and deployed Firefighter Daniel Gillespie into the depths of the well.
Firefighter Gillespie was successful and the rescue effort went off without a hitch. The dog, a black and brown possibly German Shepherd mix, was cold and suffered only a minor injury -- a cut on its paw.
More on this story from our media partner, ABC 13 - WSET.