Firefighters Rescue Dog from 18-Foot Hole

A dog that had been lost for three days was rescued by firefighters Thursday from a hole in his backyard, a fire official said.

Firefighters responded to Bamboo Street in the Eastbluff neighborhood of Newport Beach at about 5:42 p.m. Thursday and found the dog trapped in a 4-foot-wide, 18-foot-deep hole in the backyard, according to Jennifer Schulz of the Newport Beach Fire Department. 

"Firefighters lowered a 20-foot ladder and Newport Beach fire engineer Alan Baker into the hole," Schulz explained. "Engineer Baker shored the precarious walls with wood and an airbag and carefully lowered himself toward the dog."

Baker was able to secure the dog in webbing and extricate him.  The dog, whose name is Buddy, was in good shape and was said to be wagging his tail once out of the hole. He was greeted by his happy owners, Schulz said.

Buddy's owners had put up lost-dog signs throughout the neighborhood and had been searching high and low. Annie, their other dog, had been looking in the area of the hole and kept leading the family toward the area of the backyard hole, which was covered with trees and shrubs. 

"The family realized that Annie may be alerting them to something, so they called the Fire Department," Schulz said. "Firefighters cleared the brush and discovered the dog in the hole."