Dog rescued from North Vancouver’s Seymour River
Posted April 2, 2021 1:33 pm.
Last Updated April 2, 2021 1:34 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
NORTH VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – A dog is safe after he got stranded on a cliff band along the Seymour River in North Vancouver Friday.
Assistant Chief of Operations David Dales with District of North Vancouver Fire and Rescue Services says crews were called just after 11:30 a.m.
“District firefighters responded with some rescue swimmers,” Dales told NEWS 1130, adding they were able to get to the dog, put a leash on him, and swim back with him.
“The dog, Shaq, is happy to be reunited with his owner,” he added, noting the labrador-cross was quite distressed at the time.
The canine was already in the water when he started to chase a duck.
As the dog was trying to get the bird, Dales says he got caught in some small rapids, and climbed up onto shore.
He applauds Shaq’s owner for calling 9-1-1 instead of trying to take matters into their own hands.
“As a dog person, I get it. People see their dog in distress and they’ll make bad choices, they’ll enter the water,” Dales said, noting his members have the training, equipment, and knowledge of the water needed for safety.
“What we strongly advocate is don’t enter the water. Activate 9-1-1. We will always respond, and we’ll always put swimmers in the water if it’s safe to do so. On this call, it was easy for us,” he added.
It took crews about 20 minutes to complete the rescue, he says.
“This dog was a water dog and once he was secured and knew he was safe with some humans, he agreed to enter the water and swim up stream with our rescue swimmers,” Dale said.
If you plan to be out near the water, you’re being reminded to leash your dog when it’s appropriate and to be aware of your surroundings.
And if your pet does get into trouble, you’re urged to call for help.
