PORT ANGELES — A 72-year-old Hansville woman and her dog were rescued from ledges below an embankment on Lower Dam Road.
Neither the woman nor her dog — nor their rescuers — were hurt in the falls reported at 1:38 p.m. Friday, said Jake Patterson, chief of Clallam County Fire District 2.
Clallam 2 Fire -Rescue and the Port Angeles Fire Department assisted the Clallam County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue team in bringing both up from the ledges with a rope rigging system, Patterson said.
After the dog fell over the embankment, the owner attempted to rescue it but also became trapped. She could not move from a ledge about 50 feet down a steep slope, some 10-to-15 feet above her dog.
Sgt. John Keegan with the Clallam County Sheriff’s office coordinated with Clallam 2 Fire-Rescue officers to deploy rescuers and equipment to the scene, Patterson said, adding that the Port Angeles Fire Department also sent two rescue personnel to help.
Tyler Gear, Clallam 2 Fire-Rescue firefighter and emergency medical technician, was lowered by rope to secure the dog’s owner with a rescue harness. They were pulled to the top by 2:33 p.m. by several rescuers hauling on the rigged rope system, Patterson said.
Once the dog owner was safely atop the embankment, Clallam County SAR member Kelly Thomas, who has received specialized training in rescuing dogs in this type of situation, was lowered to the dog. He placed the animal in a special harness and both were pulled up by 3:32 p.m., Patterson said.
Clallam 2 Fire-Rescue responded with one ambulance, one fire engine, one wildland engine, three command vehicles and a total of 17 personnel. The Clallam County SAR team responded with 12 personnel. The Port Angeles Fire Department responded with two personnel.
