Woman, 62, hero in dog rescue

[petnews]

Woman, 62, hero in dog rescue

By Alan Mettrick
princerupert

Thursday, January 16, 2003

A 62-year-old Prince Rupert woman heroically swam back to rescue her dog yesterday after her car went off Highway 16 into the Kasiks River.

It happened Wednesday morning, 85 kilometres out of Rupert, west of the Kasiks River Bridge, said Const. Natasha Stultz of the Terrace RCMP.

The modest hero apparently asked that her name not be released.

The woman managed to escape her "totally submerged" 1993 Olds Cutlass Siera, by forcing open the driver side door, and got clear.

"After realizing her dog was still in the vehicle, she returned and attempted again to open the drivers side door with no success," Const Stultz told The Daily News.

"As the engine stalled, inexplicably the driver side window opened and she was able to retrieve her dog from the vehicle."

A passing motorist then picked up both the woman and her pooch.

"The driver was taken to Prince Rupert by a passing motorist where she was treated for minor injuries," said Const Stultz.

Apparently the dog was also none the worse for the ordeal.

The constable said Terrace RCMP investigated, but it was the Prince Rupert detachment who took a statement from the woman. Const Dave Uppal of the Prince Rupert detachment contacted the woman late this morning and said she did not want her name released.