RICHLANDS, WV (WVNS) — Thanks to heroic efforts from local law enforcement in Virginia, a dog was rescued from a sinkhole that was 60-feet deep.
According to a Facebook post from the Tazewell County, Virginia Sheriff’s Office, during the week of August 1, 2023, they received a report from the Richlands area of a dog being stuck in a sinkhole that was 60-feet deep and 7 feet wide.
Members of both the Tazewell County, Virginia Sheriff’s Office and Richlands Fire & Rescue assisted in the animal rescue.
With the dog being that deep in the sinkhole, it was decided that a harness would have to be made in order to lift the dog out of the sinkhole. Master Deputy Ray Smith boldly volunteered to be the one who was lowered into the sinkhole to help retrieve the dog.
Master Deputy Smith was able to successfully rescue the dog without injuring himself or the pup in the process. All photos of the rescue in the below slideshow were provided by the Tazewell County, Virginia Sheriff’s Office.
We appreciate all the help from our fire and rescue partners, as well as Mr. Daniel Hurt who called this in and helped in the rescue.
Tazewell County, Virginia Sheriff’s Office | Facebook
The post also noted that Master Deputy Ray Smith and Sergeant Scott Davis had done extensive search and rescue training exercises in the past, which helped them in this week’s rescue.
