Firefighters Rescue a Dog Trapped for Hours in 60-Foot Hole

CHULA VISTA, Calif: Indy is on the road to recovery after falling nearly 60 feet into a hole that used to be a well.

9-year-old German Shepherd Indy and former police K9 was treated at South County Animal Hospital, where he underwent an MRI on Thursday.

Indy’s owner, Mark Pugh, said, “He’s doing okay; he’s alert. He’s awake, and he’s getting pain meds. He’s had surgery for a couple of wounds.”

As Indy starts his recovery, he’s going to need a few more trips to the doctor before he’s back up and running.

“He has wounds to heal up and this MRI and doctor for his back injury and hips, and we’ll go from there,” Pugh said.

On Wednesday, several fire crews responded to the scene at a home near Vista Dr & Bonita Glen Drive in Chula Vista.

The large German Shepherd-type dog was trapped in the hole for more than four hours as firefighters tried to rescue it.

Rescue crews attempted many tricks, including sending down several technical hooks to Indy.

“But because of the way the hole was, nothing was long enough to make it down,” said Ken Gilden of the San Diego Humane Society Emergency Response Team.

In the meantime, another firefighter tried lowering a lasso to ensure the frightened dog, as time kept slipping by.

“And nothing was happening, and then right at the end, the dog lifted his head, and the firefighter who had the lasso was able to get it around his neck,” Gilden added, “and as soon as he did, they pulled it tight and we just brought him right up!”

While lifting the trapped dog by his neck was not perfect, few options remained. Rescue crews say the rescue operation did not hurt Indy.

“He was breathing well, seemed to be very stable,” Gilden told CBS 8. “Some cuts and bruises, maybe some problems with his hips. I put a leash and a muzzle on him, and he didn’t fight me at all.”

Indy’s owner, who expressed sincere gratitude to all of the rescue crew members, said he was taking Indy to a veterinarian to be completely examined.