Dog rescued from abandoned well after falling 30 feet

GOOCHLAND, Va. (WKRC) - Authorities rescued a dog after he fell 30 feet into an abandoned well in the middle of the woods.

Goochland Fire-Rescue responded to a call of a dog who was stuck in a well in a dense area of the woods at around 6:33 a.m. on Tuesday.

Upon arriving to the scene, first responders saw the dog, named Gibbs, whimpering while standing in shallow water at the bottom of the well.

The rescue crew ran a few tests and found that the well was oxygen deficient, so they began monitoring the atmosphere in the well and set up a ventilation system. The crews constructed a "tripod and haul system" to save Gibbs, which involves building a metal tripod over the well with ropes descending into the hole.

The Henrico County Division of Fire undertook the actual rescuing, and veterinarian Dr. Lori Elliott was on standby to provide medical attention to Gibbs as soon as he was safe. The fire department successfully recovered Gibbs from the 30-foot descent and he was taken to Partner Veterinary Emergency & Specialty Center where he underwent a full examination. He was determined to have no serious injuries.

After Gibbs was safe and sound, multiple other organizations, including the Virginia Department of Health, arrived to make a plan to fill the well.