Fire crews rescue boy and dog from embankment at Beryl Gaffney Park

By Charlie Senack, Barrhaven Independent

If you heard a swarm of sirens in Barrhaven this afternoon, chances are this is why.

On March 31, emergency crews received a call around 12:30 pm saying a young boy and his dog had fallen down an embankment at Beryl Gaffney Park and were unable to get back up. 

When fire crews arrived near the shoreline about five minutes later, the boy had already made it back up to land, however his dog remained trapped. 

“The dog, named “Medo” who was a 100 pound Bouvier, was at the bottom of the 45 degree embankment and due to the heavy mud and the steep angle was unable to get back up,” Ottawa Fire Services said in a statement. “The concern was that there was fast moving water at the bottom of the embankment and that the dog would try and run up and fall back down the hill into the water.”

With the help of two rope rescue technicians, the dog was able to be transported up the embankment in a harness. Both the dog and the boy are ok. 

As the weather warms up, there has been an increase in calls for assistance around waterways. Ottawa Fire is reminding everyone that it’s not safe to walk out on any ice surface at this time of year, and to be careful around any embankments.  If an animal does break away and is put in a dangerous situation, they encourage people to call them for assistance.