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Rottweiler rescued from sinkhole by UF VETS team

By Brandi Phillips

Cassie Fleming and Josh Fleming assess Dicey after helping to rescue her from a sinkhole she had fallen into. (Photo courtesy of John Haven)

On the evening of Oct. 14, George Fryar’s two dogs made a break from the family’s fenced backyard, but only one returned.

The 6.5- month old, 55-pound female Rottweiler puppies “did everything in tandem,” according to Fryar. He immediately began to search the woods and fields surrounding his home near County Road 349 in O’Brien, Florida.

His search continued into the following morning, with Fryar now investigating nearby wells and sinkholes. That afternoon, his calls to the missing dog — aptly named Dicey —  were answered with barks and whines from the bottom of a sinkhole in a nearby field. Distraught, Fryar contacted his veterinarian, Dr. Jena Wolfersteig, of Suwannee Oaks Animal Clinic. Quickly a team was assembled, made up of UF’s Veterinary Emergency Treatment Services’ Animal Technical Rescue Team, Suwannee Fire Rescue, and Suwanee County Animal Services. The agencies pooled experience and resources to find a way to rescue Dicey from her predicament.

The hole was too narrow and too dangerous to safely lower a human rescuer. UF VETS team member, Joshua Fleming and Suwannee Fire Rescue’s Jon Cummings, tied into rope systems for their own safety, worked together for two hours, carefully shoveling soil and chipping away at limestone in attempts to widen the hole — a delicate job to prevent further collapse.

The dog was pulled to safety shortly after 8 p.m. on Wednesday evening, after lying at the bottom of the wet sinkhole for over twenty-four hours. Dr. Cassandra Fleming assessed Dicey and found her to be in relatively good health, in spite of the conditions of their meeting.

Fleming reported that Dicey was dehydrated and hypothermic, but said the dog was expected to fully recover.

Dicey is loaded up to take to the veterinarian follow his rescue. (Photo courtesy of John Haven)

Fryar and his wife, Vaster, were overwhelmed with relief to have their puppy returned safely to their arms. All involved hope that this is the last time that Dicey lives up to her name.

The UF VETS team can be dispatched to assist local first responders by contacting the Alachua County Communications Center. The team is an all-volunteer, grant and donation funded team. It is trained in high angle, confined space, and swiftwater technical rescue. It is one of the few trained teams in the country trained to this level, and capable of performing large and small animal rescue. Donations to support the UF VETS Team can be sent to the UF Foundation program code 013175.

 Editor’s note: Brandi Phillips, the college’s pre-veterinary advisor, is a member of the UF VETS team and participated in Dicey’s rescue.