Here’s a feel-good story for a chilly Monday afternoon – a dog has been saved from drowning thanks to the use of a thermal imaging camera.
The dog in question - a Shitzu (stop giggling) – had jumped into a river in Weston-Super-Mare. It became trapped in the river after getting stuck in bramble thickets last Thursday.
Firefighters were called to the scene to try and rescue the dog, but they couldn’t locate the panicked pooch because of darkness beginning to set in. That’s when they wheeled out the thermal camera, allowing firefighters to easily see through the dark and locate the dog in the river.
The thermal camera used by the firefighters was able to detect the dog because the devices don’t detect visible light. Instead, a thermal camera detects the infrared radiation emitted by objects as heat.
Since this was the case, firefighters were able to clearly see the dog’s heat outline in the darkened river, allowing them to rescue the animal from the bramble thickets.
An Avon Fire and Rescue spokesman said:
“When firefighters reached the scene, initially they couldn’t track the dog down in the darkness.
"Using a thermal imaging camera they eventually found the animal’s heat source and were then able to rescue it from the water.
"Firefighters used a reach pole with a hook on the end to catch the dog’s collar and pull it to safety.
"With the owner nowhere in sight crews called the phone number on the pet’s collar to inform them that they had the dog in their care.
"The owners weren’t aware their pet was missing as it’s believed it escaped from their garden several miles away from where it was rescued."
The dog was returned unharmed to its owners.
Thermal cameras save the day once more!
