Dog plummets 85 feet into rock quarry during hunt for hogs — and lives, photos show
A man was out hog hunting with his dog in Georgia when the canine caught a whiff of a group of pigs, officials said.
The dog started to track down the hogs and pursued them through the woods. Then, the dog disappeared over the side of a rock quarry.
The dog’s owner called 911 at about 8 a.m. Jan. 27, asking for help in rescuing his pet in the quarry near Georgia State Route 368, according to a Facebook post from Elbert County Emergency Services.
Miraculously, the dog survived the plummet. Witnesses say the group of pigs may have broken the dog’s fall, as the dog toppled over the ledge on top of the hogs, Elbert County Emergency Services assistant director Beth Seymour told McClatchy News.
Rescuers estimate the dog’s plunge was about 85 feet. Each of the rectangular sections scaling down the quarry were about 7 to 8 feet tall, which was how the responders estimated how far the dog fell, Seymour said.
“I guess it was just a lucky day for him,” she said.
Not only was the canine alive, but the owner told the operator that the dog appeared to be OK — he just couldn’t reach the dog himself, officials said.
Rescuers soon stepped in to save the dog. It’s a somewhat common rescue operation for Elbert County responders because there are so many granite quarries, but an animal rescue was a first, Seymour said.
Before moving into the quarry, rescuers had to devise a plan to assess if they could safely reach the dog, Seymour said. Making sure responders’ lives aren’t at risk to save an animal is a priority, she said.
They didn’t have to call off the operation because they could safely place ladders and ropes down the quarry wall to reach the barking dog.
The rescue operation took about an hour to complete, which was “relatively quick” considering the responders had to use ladders and ropes to help the dog, Seymour said. For quarries in operation, rescues can be a matter of minutes because emergency responders can use other equipment such as quarry cages and cranes, she said.
Seymour said authorities assume the pigs died because they were not spotted during the rescue.
Being aware of your surroundings — whether on a hunting trip or a stroll in nature — is essential to staying safe around quarries. People unfamiliar with quarries should “definitely stay away from them” due to the risk of getting hurt, Seymour said.
Elbert County is about 35 miles northeast of Athens.
This story was originally published January 29, 2024 at 2:05 PM with the headline "Dog plummets 85 feet into rock quarry during hunt for hogs — and lives, photos show."
