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News March 25, 2004
Sometimes the old dog
paddle just doesn't cut it
GHENT --
On Wednesday morning, Deputy Sheriff Chad Shufelt responded to a call about a
dog that had fallen through ice in the middle of a pond at 104 Link Road in
Ghent.
Upon
arrival, Deputy Shufelt found the dog stranded in mid-pond, struggling to keep
his head above water. The dog, a beagle, was approximately 35 feet from shore
in eight-foot-deep water.
A
neighbor supplied Shufelt with a small aluminum boat and, with the assistance
of off-duty Emergency Medical Technician Victor Jurevis, the two worked their
way toward the beagle. The pair used a metal pipe and a two-by-four to break
the ice as they steered the boat toward the stranded dog. The beagle was
successfully rescued from the pond.
Upon
returning to shore, Shufelt and Jurevis were assisted by Columbia County
Highway department worker Thomas Scheriff.
The beagle
was then returned to its owner, Lawrence Young. As of 9:15 a.m. Wednesday, the
dog was reported to be in fine condition. Columbia County Sheriff Walter Shook
praised the rescue effort in a prepared statement Wednesday afternoon.
"I
am proud of the actions taken by Deputy Shufelt and EMT Jurevis. The job of a
Deputy Sheriff is to protect life and property and Deputy Shufelt, assisted by
Victor Jurevis, did just that; they saved the life of a family's pet," he
said.