Heroic rescue operation saves three dogs from perilous canal near Rondebosch
Three dogs were safely removed from a stormwater canal alongside the M5 near Rondebosch after a hazardous underground rescue, the Animal Welfare Society of SA said.
Image: Facebook/ Animal Welfare Society of SA
A call about a dog trapped in a canal alongside the M5 near Rondebosch led to a dangerous underground rescue that saved three animals, the Animal Welfare Society of SA said.
The society’s Inspectorate Department received a distress report last week from a member of CSS Army Response, who alerted them to a dog believed to be stuck inside the canal running parallel to the busy highway.
An inspector and a volunteer responded and were directed to the approximate position where the dog had last been seen. The team then climbed down into the canal to begin their search.
According to the society, there was initially no sign of the animal, only a long, dark underground tunnel stretching ahead. The rescuers entered the canal with torches and implemented a safety plan, with one team member remaining further back while the other moved ahead to guide the dog towards the exit if located.
Inside the tunnel, they encountered moving water and visibly unsanitary conditions, with large spiders clinging to the tunnel walls in the darkness.
Then came an unexpected discovery.
“There was not one dog, but three dogs trapped in the canal,” the organisation said in a statement.
Working methodically, the team secured one dog before moving towards the other two. With careful coordination and the use of ropes, all three animals were restrained and guided out of the canal.
With assistance from the CSS Army Response member who raised the alarm, the dogs were carried up to the roadside and out of immediate danger.
“We are incredibly grateful to CSS for acting quickly and reporting the situation. Thanks to rapid response, courage, and strong teamwork, three lives were saved yesterday,” the society said.
The dogs were described as exhausted but safe when placed into the rescue vehicle.