| Dog Water Rescue |
On March 8th 2008, Firefighters were dispatched at 11:17AM for the report of a girl who had been in the Hudson River and a dog that was in the river. Upon arrival Firefighter Mark Scianna and Lieutenant TJ Ashline treated and transported a teenage girl who had been attempting to rescue her dog from the river. Once the girl was safely enroute to the hospital, Firefighters Mark Bendel and Chad Clouting prepared to rescue the dog. The dog Cherry was trapped on a small piece of land below a cliff. The dog was not injured but was very cold and frightened. The two firefighters donned their cold water rescue suits and tied off to shore. The firefighters were assisted by volunteer safety officer John Anspach and volunteer fire lieutenant Justin Bohlmann. Fire Chief Tory Gallante was on scene overseeing the operation. Also there to assist were the Hyde Park Police Department and the Dutchess County SPCA Law Enforcement Division. Once the firefighters approached the dog and the dog became comfortable with them, they were able to cover the dog with a blanket and secure the dog so it was safe. The next challenge was to convince the dog to go back into the river with them to get back to shore. The piece of land that that dog was on was surrounded by the river and a cliff on the other side. After a little bit of convincing, the firefighters and the dog moved back into the river and back to shore. Cherry was very happy to be out. The dog was transported by the DCSPCA to a veterinarian to be evaluated. Photos by off-duty Firefighter Mark Meyerson.
