BEAR GAP - A dog that went missing from its home Monday was rescued from a 70-foot quarry cliff by emergency responders Tuesday morning.
Firefighters from Elysburg and Danville used Danville's 85-foot ladder truck, equipped with a basket, to get to the miniature collie. Elysburg Fire Chief Dennis Kroh said in an interview Tuesday night he was told the dog belongs to Ed Helfrick Jr., who lives nearby.
The dog was spotted Tuesday morning, trapped on a rock ledge and unable to move, Kroh said.
Kroh was contacted by Ralpho Township Police Chief Stuart Appel about the possibility of the fire department reaching the dog. From work, Kroh called Matt Siko, EMS supervisor, and asked him to assess the situation.
Siko, Appel and Mike Timco, a Ralpho Township firefighter, determined the only way to rescue the dog would be with an aerial device, according to Kroh. Elysburg doesn't have a ladder truck, so Kroh contacted Danville Fire Department, which responded with its unit. He said Danville was chosen over Shamokin because of there is a basket at the top of Danville's ladder.
Kroh and Danville Fire department volunteer Andy Georges ascended in the basket, stuck a dog catcher loop around the dog's neck, just to be sure it didn't move, then plucked it from the cliff. The dog never tried to move, Kroh said.
"As you can see by the pictures, the rescue was a success," the chief wrote in an earlier e-mail.
He said the dog would have had to wander down the cliff from the top.
He said the rescue took about 15 minutes once the truck was on scene. He thanked Danville for the assist.
Attempts to reach Helfrick earlier Tuesday were unsuccessful, so Kroh said the dog was taken to the Ralpho Township police station until the owner, who had reported the dog missing on Monday, could be contacted.