Freddy the dog rescued after being stuck in park hole for 24 hours
The owner of an 11-year-old dog that was trapped down a hole in a park for 24 hours has praised the ‘extraordinary’ efforts of the West Midlands firefighters who rescued him.
Freddy the Jack Russell vanished on the morning of 22 November when he was out for a walk in Sutton Park, Sutton Coldfield, with Richard Hill.
“I thought I’d seen him for the last time,” said the relieved 55-year-old. “What the firefighters did was just amazing.”
Mr Hill called 999 just after 8am on Tuesday after spending Monday and overnight trying to find his four-legged friend.
He had reached into the hole with his mobile phone and confirmed Freddy was down it by recording his distressed whimpers.
Mr Hill sent his precise location to Staffordshire and West Midlands Fire Control using the what3words app.
A fire engine and five firefighters from Sutton Coldfield were on the scene in just three minutes.
They were joined near the park’s Town Gate by members of our Technical Rescue Unit, based at Wednesbury, and started a two-hour dig to free Freddy.
Mr Hill, who works as a TV cameraman and lives in Suffolk, spends a few days a week living in Sutton where he helps to care for his mother.
“The firefighters were just unbelievable. Freddy is epileptic and needs to take medication, so I was very worried he’d gone for good.
“It was just incredible when he ran out of the hole – just like nothing had happened! He’s a bit orange at the moment, because of the colour of the soil.
"He’ll definitely be staying on the lead the next time we go out!”
