WIS News 10 - Columbia, South Carolina | Small-town firefighters rescue little girl's dog from well

Small-town firefighters rescue little girl's dog from well

By Taylor Kearns - bio | email

OLAR, SC (WIS) - We had planned Thursday to bring you a story about how the small town of Olar just got a grant to build a new fire station. The one they use is falling apart after 100 years.
    
But an emergency straight out of the Andy Griffith show called the volunteer firefighters into action, and that quickly became the story instead.

The Olar Fire Department only got about 60 calls last year.

"It's a small, quiet town," said firefighter Jonathan Neece. "Not a whole lot goes on, and that's the way we like it."

That's why Thursday's emergency was something of a rarity. At least, that's part of the reason.

"They run through the woods all the time and I guess she just took a wrong step," said James Hartzog, who owns a dog named Molly.

Thursday, with help from friends in Govan, the Olar firefighters found themselves cutting their way to an abandoned well. Not for a person, but for Molly the dog.

"We have a dog that's fallen about 35 feet," said Neece. "Hang on, little buddy!"

'She has pups," said Hartzog. "We were bringing em out and heard her yapping, came and checked and sure enough..."
    
Sure enough, Molly had fallen down an old family well. On the surface were two of her puppies and Olivia, a very concerned 4-year-old.

"That's her dog, and that's the whole reason I called for the rescue was for her," said Hartzog.

"This is what we train for," said firefighter Dwight Williams.
    
It's no fire, but Williams was happy to step up -- or in this case, down.

"My 11 years, this is the first dog rescue in a well," said Neece. "This is a new adventure for us on this one."
    
But with the skill of seasoned veterans, the volunteers wasted no time pulling Molly out for a reunion that made it all worth the effort.

"You're okay, you're okay!" squealed an excited Olivia when Molly was returned.

"We do more than fight fires, we do whatever is required of us," said Williams, "like goin down into holes and retrieving dogs! And I was glad to do it!"

"She's okay, I believe, just a little shocked," said Hartzog.
    
In a big city, two fire stations pulling a dog out of a well might seem like overkill. In Olar, though, it's a community perk. Because in a one-horse town, one dog can be a priority.

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