Chicago Firefighters Save Dog from Sludge-filled Sewer

June 20--Theo, a large pit bull, was "scared and shaking" but "happy to be out" after plunging about 10 feet down a sludge-filled sewer and being rescued by a firefighter Friday, authorities said.

The 90-pound, 3-year-old pooch was being walked by his owner about 12:45 p.m. in the Near West Side neighborhood where sewer crews were doing some work.

But the cover of a nearby sewer had been removed, and Theo fell "down to the bottom," of it, said Chicago Fire Department spokesman Larry Langford. "It was a pretty long way."

Luckily, the accident happened across the street from Engine 103's firehouse at 25 S. Laflin St. as crews were rounding the corner returning from a medical run.

Theo is a regular at the station who likes to visit his "buddy," Freckles, the resident firehouse dog. Theo was walking slowly behind his owner because the firefighters at 103 usually give out "doggy treats,'' said Lt. Kenneth Trotter, who was on the engine pulling up. "They know they get treats over here."

"All of a sudden, (the owner) felt a tug on the leash," Trotter said.

The owner tried to hold on, but Theo's leash snapped and the owner could hear the pup fall about 10 feet, said Trotter and firefighter Andrew Murkowski.

Theo's owner began panicking and banging on the firehouse door.

"The owner was freaking out," said Murkowski who has been on the job only four days.

"You gotta get my dog," the owner frantically told the firefighters who jumped off their rig, said Murkowski.

"It was chaos'' as they worked to pull the dog up, said Murkowski.

They called for another unit, who donned rubber suits, and one firefighter went down to grab Theo.

"The dog hit pretty hard on the cement and there's a drain pillar in there," Trotter said. "The dog was a little unconscious and started sinking down into the contaminated sludge. His body was totally engulfed in it."

Trotter said the dog could have drowned in raw sewage if they hadn't gotten him out.

"You could only see the tip of his nose and he was sinking," the lieutenant said.

Langford said a "confined space rescue'' was performed, and crews used "webbing" to haul the dog up, an operation that took about 20 minutes.

"I put a ladder down into the hole so the dog was able to grab it and stop sinking. Then we called for more equipment and a team of firefighters,'' Trotter said.

"They set up scaffolding and hoisted him out. One guy went down and helped push him up. It took some time and we saved him," Trotter said.

"It was a big dog, very friendly and cooperative," Langford said.

Theo was hosed down, and Trotter advised the owner to take the dog to the vet immediately to be checked out.

Despite needing to be decontaminated, the hound seemed to be fine and its owner was "very happy,'' Langford said.

"He was just so happy to be out," Trotter said of Theo. "He was so scared and shaking and everything."

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