Emma, black lab

Fire crews rescue man, dog from ravine over Occoquan River
By Kari Pugh
Published: December 23, 2011

Volunteer fire crews late Friday saved a man and his dog from a dark and steep ravine over the Occoquan River off Signal Hill Road.

The black Labrador retriever, Emma, had gone missing two days earlier, said Lake Jackson Volunteer Fire Chief Jim Bailey. On Friday evening, her owner found her huddled on a crevice more than 200 feet down the embankment, about 30 feet above the water.

He went down to get his dog, but lost his footing -- and his grip on his flashlight, which slipped down into the water. He fell about 200 feet down, stopping himself by hanging onto a tree.

It was too dark to climb his way back up, so the man called out for help. His wife called 911 about 8 p.m., and the dramatic rescue began.

Crews from the Buckhall, Lake Jackson, Occoquan-Woodbridge-Lorton, Stonewall and Dale City volunteer fire departments, along with the Manassas Rescue Squad, set up over the ravine.

A firefighter rappelled down with a safety harness, and the duo was hoisted up to safety, Bailey said.

Lake Jackson volunteers put a boat in the water and rescued the dog from below.

“It took some coaxing to get her to come to me,” Bailey said. “She was way down the hill, tucked into a crevice. If she had stepped back a foot, she would have fallen in the water.”

Dog and owner weren’t injured, Bailey said. But Emma was happy to be rescued.

“She was real excited when we reunited her with her family,” Bailey said.

Source: http://www2.insidenova.com/news/2011/dec/23/fire-crews-rescue-man-dog-ravine-over-occoquan-riv-ar-1565457/
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