Firefighters rescue dog from 10-foot sinkhole
Published 1:30 am Tuesday, March 25, 2025
PORT ANGELES — Firefighters from two Clallam County districts rescued a 60-pound dog that had fallen into a sinkhole on property in the 600 block of Power Plant Road on Saturday.
Firefighter/EMT Matt Aston descended a ladder into the hole, described as 10 feet deep and 2 feet wide in the back yard of the residence, Clallam County Fire District 2 Chief Jake Patterson said in a press release.
The property owner stated that a depression had formed that was not there earlier in the day, according to the press release.
Fire district 2 was dispatched at 1:03 p.m. and requested additional assistance from the technical rescue team from Clallam County Fire District 3.
The dog, a husky mix named Rip, appeared uninjured but could not get out of the hole, the press release stated.
“Crews began preparing for the rescue of the dog and setting up a safe zone to operate,” Patterson said in the press release. “They also lowered an air-monitoring device into the hole to ensure that the atmosphere was safe for both the dog and the rescuers.”
Ladders were placed around the hole to provide a platform and reduce further collapse of the sinkhole, Patterson said. Rescuers were secured using ropes as a safety measure when they were working around the hole, he said.
“Initial attempts to get a loop of webbing material around the dog to pull him up were unsuccessful,” Patterson said. “It was then determined that a small ladder could be safely placed within the whole and a single rescuer could descend and secure the dog and bring them to the surface.”
Aston retrieved Rip about 3:08 p.m., Patterson said. Rip was a little shaken but appeared to be uninjured, he added.
Clallam 2 Fire-Rescue responded with a fire engine, an ambulance, a rescue vehicle and two command vehicles with 13 personnel. Fire District 3 responded with a command vehicle and a rescue vehicle with five personnel.
The Port Angeles Fire Department also responded with a command vehicle and a chief officer, according to the press release.
