AMAZING VIDEO: Trapped Dog Rescued from L.A. River

[RedCloud]

Source: KTLA

VERNON -- Firefighters rescued a dog stranded in the raging waters of the flooded Los Angeles River in an operation that captivated television audiences across Southern California.

Read more: http://www.ktla.com/news/landing/ktla-dog-rescue,0,4112738.story

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Maybe the dog was trying to escape Corporate America so he could bark!

[rocktivity]

1. Was the dog white, black or brown?

:boring:
rocktivity

[Purveyor]

6. Firefighter Bitten By Dog In Helicopter LA River Rescue

(01-22) 16:13 PST LOS ANGELES (AP) --

A German shepherd hoisted to safety from the storm-swollen Los Angeles river Friday is fine, authorities said, but the firefighter who splashed down in the daring helicopter rescue was hospitalized after being bitten by the dog.

Los Angeles fire officials said 50-year-old Joe St. Georges, who suffered severe hand and arm injuries, had been taken to County USC Medical Center.

"He has significant injuries, bites and punctures, to his hand and arm and is being seen by a specialist," Los Angeles fire Capt. Steve Ruda said.

The dog, nicknamed Vernon after the Southern California town where he was found, did not have a name tag or computer chip, said Sgt. Charles Miller of the Southeast Area Animal Control Authority in Downey.

The dog was quarantined to be monitored for rabies, but "appears to be well-maintained and cared for," Miller said.

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2010/01/22/national/a150331S53.DTL#ixzz0dOG5DRQw

[truthisfreedom]

7. That's tragic. Ugh, you save the dog and he bites you. Dangit. Must have been really scared.

I hope the rescuer is okay. Above and beyond the call of duty.

[Purveyor]

8. While not the ending we all wanted to hear, both are alive and I can't blame the terrified dog

and really salute its rescuer.

I would have done the same, bites or not.

I did have to chuckle at watching the dog attempt to 'paddle the air' as if it was walking while in mid-air.

We have a chihuahua that if you hold her over the water in the pool, she paddles as if she is actually in the water. Funny to watch but I'm sure she is less than thrilled about it all.

[XemaSab]

9. It looked like the dog was FREAKED

He was out in the middle of the rushing river and the firefighter totally tackled him in the water.

It's too bad the dog bit the guy, but I don't see another way it could have been done.

[tblue37]

13. And I am sure the firefighter knew he would be bitten, but did it anyway.

Anyone who knows animals knows they will bite when frightened, and anyone with a brain knows a German Shepherd bite will be bad. But anyone with a heart would save the pup anyway--I know I would have, and I bet most of the people on this board would have.

[hisownpetard]

2. Awesome!

Thanks for posting.

[FarPoint]

3. Did he sedate the dog to transport?

The dog was frightened and gnashing teeth when the rescue worker arrived.....then the lift to the chopper showed a calmer dog. They carried it from the ground to the wagon...so, I hope it didn't get hurt.

[roguevalley]

4. thank you for posting something with a good ending. its needed now.

[The Stranger]

5. The written news report says the dog was doing fine afterward at a veterinary clinic.

[FarPoint]

10. Excellent!

I so enjoyed the video.

[tblue37]

14. No, I think once out of the water the dog realized it was no longer in danger and calmed

down on its own. It was the horror of being buffeted by the raging waters that was terrifying the dog. Once out of the water, he seemed to realize the firefighter was helping him, not hurting him. Dogs are pretty smart.

[Wilms]

11. LAFD in Haiti, and in the LA River. Good on all of them.

Thanks!

[tblue37]

12. That was darned brave. A frightened animal will bite the heck out of you.

I was once itten in the shin by a little Dachshund, and the bite took a long time to heal. Dog bites of any kind are not a small matter. A German Shepherd has an even more powerful bite.

But who could resist trying o help the poor frightened baby, even at the risk of being bitten?

Notice that as soon as they were out of the water, the dog stopped biting (as if he knew he was safe then), but he continued to dog paddle in the air. I thought the air dog paddle was very cute.

[douglas9]

15. Los Angeles firefighter recounts daring dog rescue

The Los Angeles Fire Department firefighter who rescued a panicked dog from the brown, rushing waters of the Los Angeles River this afternoon said that unless firefighters acted, someone else was likely to have ventured into the concrete wash and wound up a casualty.

Joe St. Georges, 50, the firefighter who captivated much of Los Angeles as he was lowered by a tether into the churning waters to rescue the hound, told reporters late Friday that he suffered a bite to his thumb but was otherwise OK.

“I didn’t have time to establish a rapport with the dog,” St. Georges said, in a classic understatement, as he held his heavily bandaged hand in the air. “He did what dogs do.”

St. Georges was treated for the bite and released from Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center. From there, he traveled to the department’s air operations center in Van Nuys to meet with a throng of reporters.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2010/01/los-angeles-firefighter-recounts-daring-dog-rescue.html

[lumberjack_jeff]

16. There's gotta be a better way.

One could argue (I'm not sure that I would) that the manpower cost is irrelevant because it's good training for the 50 or 60 firemen and pilots.

At a bare minimum, the medical care for the bitten firefighter is a direct cost.