A firefighter rescues Nellie from Chipping Sodbury Quarry. Picture: Avon & Somerset police drone team
FIREFIGHTERS staged a complex rescue operation to save a nine-month-old dog which fell into Chipping Sodbury quarry during an evening walk.
An Avon Fire & Rescue specialist rope rescue team scaled the sides of the quarry off Wickwar Road to rescue the Spaniel puppy, named Nellie, from a ledge after she had fallen while out with her owners at around 4.30pm on April 14.
The Avon & Somerset police drone team helped guide the firefighters to the spot where Nellie was holed up and, after she was loaded into a special holdall, she was hauled up to safety and taken to a vet for a check-up on a suspected broken leg.
Nellie back at home after her ordeal. Picture: Avon Fire & Rescue Service
A fire service spokesperson said: “Crews from Temple, Yate and Southmead stations attended the incident and worked closely together using rope rescue skills to rescue the puppy.
“We’re pleased to see that despite a few cuts and bruises, both Nellie and her owners are safely back home and resting up.
“Special thanks to Avon and Somerset Police Drone Team for their assistance so that we could easily locate Nellie and bring her to safety.”
Footage released by the police on the drone team’s Twitter account showed Nellie wagging her tail as her rescuer arrived.
A firefighter abseils down to where the dog was stuck in Chipping Sodbury Quarry. Picture: Avon & Somerset police drone team.
A police spokesperson said: “An operator from our specialist drone team attended the scene and launched a drone in a bid to locate the missing dog.
“Using thermal technology, the drone canvassed the area and located the dog. We were then able to guide the rescue team to its location and reunite it with its owners.”