Rescue Dog: Firefighters Save Trapped Beagle
By John Dodge
CHICAGO -- Layla is one lucky dog.
The beagle, which are rather curious by nature, somehow found herself stuck in a small drainage pipe near North Avenue and St. Charles Road in Carol Stream on Friday afternoon.
Firefighters were called to the scene and quickly realized they were in for a delicate extrication to free Layla from the trap.
Layla, who is four-years-old, was stuck about 15 feet inside an opening in the 12-inch diameter pipe.
Members went to work, digging by hand down to the top of the horizontal drainage pipe, then calculated the dog's location so as not to cut directly over the trapped pet.
They used a variety of extrication tools including the gas powered "ring saw", sawsall, and chipping hammer, along with hand tools, according to Bob Hoff of the Carol Stream Fire Department.
Firefighters were able to come within an arm's reach of Layla to extricate her by hand.
This was made more complicated because she was stuck in the mud that had accumulated in the sewer pipe.
Layla was dehydrated, frightened but very happy to see her owner, Hoff said.
Total time of this rescue mission was approximately 40 minutes.
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