A 2-year-old Jack Russell terrier named Elbie is safely back with her owner after firefighters rescued her Monday from a narrow ledge on the 13th floor of a high-rise apartment building in Dee Why, a Sydney suburb on Australia’s Northern Beaches.
Elbie went missing Friday from her owner Jake Dobrin’s unit at the Meriton apartments. She apparently squeezed past potted plants and through a narrow gap on the balcony, ending up stranded between railings on the other side of a neighbor’s ledge. She spent two days there with no food or water. A neighbor spotted her Sunday using a drone, and the alert reached local authorities.
Fire and Rescue NSW responded Monday afternoon.
Firefighter Joel Spillane rappelled down the building using vertical rescue equipment while a tarpaulin was positioned below as a safety net. It took time to reach and secure the small dog before she was winched safely to the roof. Spillane later said it took some time to extract Elbie from where she was stranded. Dobrin said Elbie did not appear injured but would see a veterinarian Monday as a precaution.
No one was hurt during the rescue, and there were no reported injuries to the dog. A crowd of anxious onlookers gathered on the ground to watch the operation. The dramatic rescue drew widespread attention on social media, with many praising the quick work by firefighters and the drone operator who located her.
The Meriton building is a popular apartment complex in the beachside suburb about 20 minutes north of central Sydney. Elbie was reunited with Dobrin shortly after the rescue.
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Elbie went missing Friday from her owner Jake Dobrin’s unit at the Meriton apartments.
Elbie went missing Friday from her owner Jake Dobrin’s unit at the Meriton apartments.
