Watch How These Heroes Rescue A Pup Who Was Stuck On A Ledge Near A Waterfall

When a couple took a trip to New Jersey’s Paterson Great Falls National Park, they hadn’t expected to see a dog stuck on a lower ledge by the water with no way of getting out.

Worried about the pup’s safety, the couple contacted the police. Calls went from the police to the Paterson Fire Department, and Captain Scott Parkin’s team responded to the call.

Parkin’s own father was once a firefighter who had rescued many animals from ledges all around the waterfalls, so he requested for his unit – Rescue Co. 2 – to be assigned to the job.

Paterson Animal Control was also contacted, and they too reached out to a contact of their own: the Ramapo-Bergen Animal Refuge. This organization agreed to take in the pup after the rescue operation, even though they knew nothing about him, so staff member Frannie D’Annunzio rushed to the scene too.

Heavy rainfall meant using a boat to retrieve the trapped pup could be dangerous in the rushing waters, so the firefighting team settled on using a makeshift pulley system to rappel Parkin down to the ledge, 75 feet downwards from where their starting point on the bridge was. It definitely seemed like a dangerous and complex tactic, but they made sure to triple-check the system so it was safe.

Soon, it was ready, and Parkin made his way down to the ledge. The pup was clearly frightened from the loud noises from the waterfall and the sudden appearance of a random man, so Parkin knew he had to be careful. The pup refused to respond to treats and kept his distance, so Parkin tried to call down more equipment. But at that point, the dog seemed to realize that Parkin was there to help and slowly approached him!

Parkin gently pet the pup and spoke to him in a soothing manner, and this made the pup trust him entirely. Parkin was able to easily wrap him in a net and begin moving him back up to the bridge, and the dog remained completely calm. As soon as they arrived safely back on the walk, the pup’s relief was apparent, and he seemed happy to be safe. The whole operation took a whopping two and a half hours!

The dog was named Paterson and moved to the Ramapo-Bergen Animal Refuge organization, which took him to the vet. The pup only had some small cuts and bruises from being on the ledge, but also a skin infection, and he was also underweight. Still, despite his shock, he was opening up after just one day with the rescue team!

Then, something even more amazing happened – Paterson got to see Parkin once more, and he was overjoyed to see the friendly human who saved him! This led to the Paterson Fire Department making the decision to adopt the pup as their official mascot. It’s all looking up for this pup!

Images & Feature Image Source: Frannie D’Annunzio