Man, Dog Rescued From Well In Gig Harbor

GIG HARBOR, WA — A man and his dog are doing OK after falling down a well over the holiday weekend, according to Gig Harbor Fire & Medic One.

The well rescue, shared Thursday on the Gig Harbor Fire & Medic One Facebook page, described a situation that could have ended much worse were it not for the man's family and the agency's quick actions.

"Initially, the report was of a child who fell into a well," fire officials wrote. "On the way to the scene, our crews were updated that it was an adult male and a dog who were in the well about 15 to 20 feet below the ground, treading water."

While standing on a rotted slat of plywood covering the well, the man's dog fell through into the water below. Hoping to save his pup, the dog's owner reportedly roped himself off and climbed into the well also.

Once he reached the dog, however, the man found that he could neither touch the bottom nor climb back up the rope to safety, officials wrote. Reacting quickly, the man's family called 911.

When Gig Harbor Fire crews arrived, they cut a hole in the roof of the well house and lowered a ladder the man then used to climb out. After, a firefighter repelled down into the well and secured a harness around the dog, which was then pulled to safety.

"Both patient and dog were checked by our medics and did not appear to have any injuries," officials wrote. "Later, as the dog zipped around, happy to be out of the well, everyone was grateful for a happy ending."

Fire officials on Thursday told Patch they plan to update their Facebook story with pictures of the man and his dog. When the agency updates its post, Patch will update this story.