|
Friday, December 14, 2007 7:13 PM EST
Area rescuers pull man from Allegheny River early Thursday
By BRIAN LOTHRIDGE
Olean Times Herald
|
| Carl Smith, 57, of Allegany (left), plays with his two Labrador retrievers, Tucker and Alpha, and his friend Kurt Knier of Cuba looks on with his chocolate Lab in Gargoyle Park this morning. The men were preparing for their daily walk with their dogs. Photo by Rick Miller
|
|
|
| |
|
An Allegany man is back to walking his dogs this morning after he fell into the Allegheny River Thursday while trying to rescue one of his dogs just after 10 a.m. about quarter mile from Gargoyle Park.
Carl Smith, 57, of Lower Birch Run Road, said he meets with other local dog owners at Gargoyle Park each morning to walk their dogs. He was walking his two yellow Labrador retrievers, Tucker and Alpha, along the Allegheny River Valley Trail Thursday when Alpha got away from him and fell into the river. Her leash got caught in some branches in the river, Mr. Smith said.
"I knew the current was fast; I knew my dog wasn't going to make it," he said. "If she got exhausted she would have drowned."
Mr. Smith eventually got Alpha free when he slipped into the river himself and became trapped in some branches about 15 to 25 feet from shore. It was difficult for him to move in the branches, he said. Alpha swam back to shore. Tucker, Alpha's father, jumped into the river to try to get Mr. Smith. He had to push the older dog away from him in the river so it could get back to shore, he said.
Meanwhile, Kurt Knier, who was walking with Mr. Smith, called 911. The Allegany Fire Department arrived on the scene a few minutes later and threw a rope out to him. The Town of Olean Fire Department Cold Water Rescue Team was also dispatched.
Forest Ranger Robert Rogers, with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Region 9, was driving from Springville to Olean for a computer training meeting with other rangers when he heard the call. Mr. Rogers acknowledged the call and said he would respond, said Wayne Krulish, an Olean-based ranger. He also notified the rangers he was to meet and they came out minutes later.
Mr. Rogers was prepared for cold water rescues and had a cold water suit and other rescue equipment in his truck. He arrived on the scene about the same time as the Allegany Fire Department, suited up, and went into the water to help stabilize Mr. Smith and to keep him from going down the river, Mr. Krulish said. He was in the water with the man for nearly 45 minutes.
"Once I saw the rescue team, I knew I would get out," Mr. Smith said. "It was just a matter of hanging on."
Other personnel soon arrived, including the Cattaraugus County Sheriff's Office deputies, town of Olean firefighters and additional rangers.
"I put on a suit, too, and got in the water, and we got the subject secured on a rope," Mr. Krulish said.
Mr. Rogers cut some of the branches Mr. Smith was caught in and then worked with Mr. Krulish and the team on shore to get him out of the river.
"We laid back and they pulled me and (Mr. Smith) in with a rope," he said. "Then they got his wet clothes off and transported him to the hospital."
Mr. Smith was taken to Olean General Hospital and treated for hypothermia. He was there for about three hours and was released when his body temperature was back to normal.
"It was fortunate that he was able to grab onto (the tree)... or else he would have been carried down the river," Mr. Krulish said.
The water level at the river was high because of the recent rain and snow and the current was moving fast, he said. The Allegheny River was at 7.2 feet and rising yesterday morning, up more than a foot from Wednesday morning, according to the Olean Wastewater Treatment Plant.
Teamwork was important in this rescue and was made possible by the resources of the all the agencies, Mr. Krulish said. Having additional ranger resources was very valuable.
"It's exhilarating," Mr. Krulish said. "It reinforces the training and it makes you thankful that you've been equipped with the proper equipment to respond to these types of incidents."
"This was a life or death situation," he said. "He has a lot to be thankful for."
Mr. Smith said he was very thankful this morning. He said he didn't want to put anyone else in danger.
"By going into the river to save my dog, I put others in danger and that bothers me," Mr. Smith said. "For me to make a decision to rescue my dog is one thing, but I certainly didn't want to put anyone in danger."
Mr. Smith said he wouldn't have jumped in the river if Mr. Knier wasn't with him with a cell phone. He didn't think he would fall in the river but he was glad that help came soon after he did, he said.
"I wasn't the hero here," he said. "The rescue team, the ambulance team and the hospital team are the heroes here. They were beyond excellent."
 printer friendly version
 e-mail this story
Reader Comments
There are No comments posted. comments to this story.
The following are comments from the readers. In no way do they represent the view of bradfordera.com.
Submit a Comment
We encourage your feedback and dialog, all comments will be reviewed by our Web staff before appearing on the Web site.
|
