The call came in just before 5:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 9. Initial reports to emergency responders said that a man was trapped under a dock in the water off of White Dogwood Road on Lady’s Island. Units responded with the worst in mind and prepared themselves for the life-and-death struggle that sometimes comes with water accidents.
Imagine their surprise when they arrived on scene and the caller reported that her Jack Russell Terrier — not a person — was trapped under the dock and her husband was in the cold water trying to rescue the dog. The new information didn’t change much to the firefighters and paramedics on scene, they were there to serve whomever needed assistance.
It turns out the animal swam under the dock and crawled between the float and the decking of the dock and managed to get himself wedged in.
The man in the water refused to abandon his dog so emergency responders worked quickly to rescue the dog who was yelping with fear and presumably pain. Equally important was their efforts to encourage the owner to come out of the frigid water.
Using knowledge of construction and the tools on hand, EMT Paulo Pacheco of Beaufort County EMS and Firefighters Scott Maxey and Michael McHale of the Lady’s Island-St. Helena Fire District, pulled the boards of the dock up and gained access to the animal. Buckshot the dog was elated as personnel lifted him out of his predicament. He showered his rescuers with kisses and immediately recalled his puppy days of snuggling when returned safely to his owners.
