Dalmatian Rescued From Storm Drain

They say cats have nine lives, but a dog named Alex has a survival story to beat them all.

The 14-year-old Dalmatian spent an entire weekend, more than 48 hours in all, wedged 20 to 25 feet into a storm drain at their home in Genoa, W.Va.

His owner, Larry Thompson, with the help of an excavator, finally freed Alex.

Thompson told co-anchor Hannah Storm Thursday Alex is OK, outside of a few scratches and bruises.

"We're very lucky and fortunate that we have our dog, you know, and glad to get him back," Thompson said, with Alex in his lap and his wife, Mary, at his side.

Larry says the rescue effort "wasn't a fun chore to do. It was very risky. And we had a — without support and help, I would have never been able to get Alex back. And I'm so appreciative with that, with that fact. I had people behind me and family to help me to rescue Alex."

"It was terrible," Mary interjected, "seeing them both in the hole. I didn't know if either one of them was gonna get out."

"It was an experience — a real experience for me," Larry added.

The ground collapsed after initial digging efforts, then using a backhoe failed.

Ultimately, the backhoe did the trick.

Larry says, when they first realized where Alex was, Alex "wasn't doing too well. … But I could tell he was alive by his breathing. Of course, a drainpipe with that distance would — have some gravel and a little bit of debris in it. So, I could hear him kicking around and struggling, trying to get out. I tried to soothe him, talking to him, just like I would talk to anyone, any person, to soothe him and let him know that I was there and I'd be after him."

When he was finally able to free Alex, Larry says, "It was a big relief. It was a real big relief. And I was very excited. … I was just so happy to have him back and I was just glad to get my little partner back. … It would have taken me a long time to gotten over it.

"He's a great companion for me. I've had him a lot of times when I've had no one else, you know. Used to be by ourselves and go through the woods and whatever. He was always with me. In pleasure and work, he was always with me. I would have missed him greatly."

Larry told the Charleston Daily Mail, "He looked just like the Dalmatian on the Alpo can. He's just beautiful.

"I would have gone to any extent to get him out. It was the humane thing to do. I just couldn't leave him in there to die, to suffocate. I'm just so glad we kept digging.

"Now all I have to do is clean up this mess I've made of my yard."