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Wilmington – Shortly before 10:00 PM on January 7th, 2018 Wilmington Firefighters on the B platoon were alerted to a man and canine out on the frozen Brandywine River, redirecting units from the house fire on North Harrison Street, according to Battalion Chief John Looney.
Looney said upon arrival, crews from Tower 1 and Squad 4 made contact with one male subject out on the ice attempting to rescue a family dog that had become stuck. Crews wearing ice rescue suits quickly made their way out to the subject and successfully removed him from harm. Due to the quick actions of responding firefighters the male subject was removed from the water before any cold weather injuries could set in.
Meanwhile the crew from Engine 5 utilizes a 24ft. extension ladder, descended down approximately 20ft and made initial contact with the dog. Rescue attempts were difficult due to the dog being cold, wet, and frighten. After numerous attempts and with assistance from NCC Special Operations Water Rescue Team and Animal Control Officer, the dog was rescued and reunited with its owners.
The scene was placed under control at 11:01 PM by incident commander, Battalion Chief Thomas Cunningham. There were no other civilian or firefighter injuries reported.
Looney reminds members of the public to stay safe by staying off the ice and should a dog go onto the ice don’t attempt to rescue. Call 911 Immediately
Approximately 20 fire and EMS personnel responded to the fire. The following units responded: Engine 5, Squad 4, Tower 1, Battalion-1, St. Francis EMS, New Castle County Medics, Animal Control, Wilmington Police, and New Castle County Special Operations Team.
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