Puppy Rescued by Denver Fire Department After Falling Through Vent on 3rd Floor of Home
"[The puppy] unintentionally slipped through the uncovered vent... leaving him stranded for over three hours,” the fire department said
South Metro Fire Rescue
A Pekingese puppy named Archie BeanA puppy is lucky to be alive after being rescued from a vent inside a home.
South Metro Fire Rescue in Denver, Colorado, shared on social media that it responded to a report of a puppy in need of help at a home in Unincorporated Douglas County on Tuesday, June 11, at around 5 p.m.
Officials said a 12-week-old 5 lbs. Pekingese puppy named Archie Bean had fallen through an open floor vent on the third floor of a townhome.
“Archie unintentionally slipped through the uncovered vent after jumping from the bed, leaving him stranded for over three hours,” the fire department said.
Related: Man Discovers He's in the Wrong Car When He Finds Stranger's Dog in the Back Seat: Watch
A video they shared showed the owner near the opening of the vent speaking to the puppy, who whimpered from deep inside the three-story hole. She described the canine as “a very slippery, very slinky dog” in the video.
Officials noted that the fire rescue crew from SMFR Tower 45 worked with the Douglas County Sheriff's Department and Plumbline Services to pinpoint the location of the dog and find a way to safely rescue it.
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Video of the rescue showed several rescuers sending down video cameras through the pipe to locate the puppy. One fire rescue member noted that they were going to cut an 8 inch. x 10 inch. hole to “access the vent pipe above” to see if they could get to the pup, as another person could be seen sawing open a part of a roof.
Once they created the hole, they were able to insert another camera into the vent. The fire rescue consulted their cameras, which broadcasted the footage to a device. “We think we saw his eyes,” one fire rescue member told the camera.
“The rescue operation was not without its challenges, as the crew had to navigate through the intricate ductwork of the townhome to locate Archie,” the fire department said on social media.
“I texted my entire family in California and Texas and told them I need prayers— exactly what was happening and who was here trying to help,” Archie’s owner said in the video. “This whole community is on edge trying to figure out when this dog is going to be okay.”
Eventually they were able to locate him in the vents and crews used a saw to cut an even bigger opening so that someone could enter, unattach the vent and get to the puppy.
“Archie come here, buddy,” one of the rescuers called out to him. The pup could be seen finally poking his head out of the vent. One of the rescuers eventually pulled the canine free out of the pipe and carried the puppy over to its owner.
“That is a prayer answered,” the emotional dog owner said in the video. “... “Everybody who [were] digging into my house and cutting in the walls and the ceilings. Thank you so much for not giving up. I’m very happy."
For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!
Read the original article on People.
