Woman hires digger to rescue Jack Russell trapped in pipe for five days
A dog owner hired a digger to rescue her Jack Russell terrier trapped in an underground pipe for five days.
Lulu was freed and emerged unhurt after a rescue operation that saw the surface of a car park ripped up.
Six members of a fire service's urban search and rescue team spent six hours freeing the dog.
Frantic owner Gina Kaiser screamed with relief and ran to cradle her beloved dog as she was finally lifted to freedom by crew member Pete Skinner.
Five-year-old Lulu became stuck when she bolted down a rabbit hole in Boveney Lock, Bucks.
Friends, relatives and concerned passers-by helped Gina to shovel dirt from the opening of the rabbit hole and discovered that Lulu had headed into a pipe system underneath a car park site.
They hired a digger and tried to crawl through the 60cm pipe to reach Lulu, who was stuck tight in debris.
When Buckinghamshire Fire & Rescue Service realised the advancing rescue efforts may put people's lives at risk as they tried to wriggle into the pipe, a team was sent.
They used the digger hired by Gina to break the car park surface and dug through the soil underneath, cutting away a section of the pipe to reach her pooch.
Gina, a social care worker, thanked the fire service and everybody who helped during the traumatic few days.
She told Rex Features: "I'm so relieved - these guys have been brilliant.
"It shows there are some good people about."
Fire brigade station manager Doug Gruchy said he understands that dog owners will go to extraordinary lengths to save their pets and urged people to take care when walking dogs near open drainage pipes and culverts. He said people should not risk their own safety in the event of a dog becoming trapped.
Speaking to Rex Features, he said: "We took the decision to carry out this rescue because of our concern for the safety of her search party as well as for Lulu's welfare.
"We are obviously delighted that it has had a happy ending."
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