Hole-Y Moley! Dog Safe After Complex, Multi-Agency Rescue

FALMOUTH, MA — Emergency crews in Falmouth responded late Tuesday to an unusual crisis and an unusual victim.

A pet dog had fallen into a sinkhole, 12 feet deep.

The hole, on a residential property at 387 Jones Road, created hazards for responders as well as the dog, a yellow Labrador retriever named Tessa.

A 2-foot-wide shaft opened into a “large, undermined area caused by hidden water drainage,” the Falmouth Fire/Rescue Department said in a statement.

The confined space and the risk of the shaft collapsing led responders to call for help from the Barnstable County Technical Rescue Team.

Crews stabilized the ground but determined that entering the hole would be too dangerous. Instead, they worked from its entrance, bringing in a ladder truck that lowered gear into the pit.

“After more than two hours of tactical adjustments — and a little help from some pepperoni — Tessa was successfully pulled to safety at 5:01 p.m.,” the statement said.

She emerged without injury, happily finished the remaining pepperoni, and was reunited with her owner.

Falmouth Fire/Rescue expressed thanks to the owner for calling 911 and to multiple agencies, other fire crews and several private companies who responded.