Firefighters in Bay Shore, N.Y., turned to one of their most powerful rescue tools for an unexpected task: freeing a dog stuck beneath a backyard shed.
Responders ultimately freed Cody, the dog trapped under the structure, only after using air bags, wood cribbing, and the Jaws of Life before returning him to his owners.
Here's what to know
The Bay Shore Fire Department responded to a home on Gardiner Drive after a report that a pet was stuck beneath a shed.
News12 Long Island reported that after arriving, Chief John Ippolito, Jr., 1st Asst. Chief Nick Danza, members of the department's Emergency Service Squad, and Suffolk police officers evaluated the situation.
Crews first tried to dig a trench to let Cody reach the front of the shed and get out.
That effort instead frightened the dog, sending him farther underneath the shed and forcing responders to move to a more technical rescue.
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About 20 minutes later, Cody was safely out and reunited with his owners without further issues.
More background
According to fire officials, Ippolito asked for air bags, Jaws of Life rescue tools, and wood cribbing from the backyard.
Animal rescues can quickly turn into structural rescues when a pet is trapped in a tight, inaccessible space. In Cody's case, the shed became the central obstacle after he moved farther underneath it.
Multiple agencies responded, with Suffolk police officers on scene alongside Bay Shore firefighters.
The Bay Shore Fire Department handled the call as one of nine incidents.
What's being done?
After the trench attempt failed, Ippolito requested air bags and Jaws of Life tools.
According to the report, responders also used wood cribbing from the backyard. Cribbing is commonly used to support and stabilize heavy objects during rescues.
Ippolito, Danza, members of the department's Emergency Service Squad, and Suffolk police officers worked the scene.
Rescuers freed Cody in about 20 minutes, and he returned to his owners without further problems.
Where can I learn more?
Cody's rescue is one of many cases where first responders have had to improvise to reach trapped animals. Here are a few more rescue stories involving dogs and other animals in dangerous spots.
• In Maryland, firefighters lifted a 100-pound dog from a 17-foot well and reunited him.
• At Glenelg, rescuers freed a fox terrier trapped beneath a breakwater for five days.
• During a basement fire, firefighters pulled a small dog from a bedroom and gave it oxygen.
• In Colorado Springs, firefighters helped rescue a 650-pound baby animal near a local park.
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