Dyno Rod employee heroically helps to rescue trapped dog

An employee at Dyno Rod came to the aid of Olive the dog when she became stuck in Hackney Marshes.

The rescue mission, which lasted a staggering eight hours, involved two fire crews and an RSPCA representative, as well as Jamie, an employee at cleaning and drainage franchise, Dyno Rod. During an early morning walk in Hackney Marshes, Robert Mendick watched his dog, Olive, disappear down a hole in the bank of the River Lea. The black Patterdale Terrier, which is the size of a large domestic cat, went missing just before 8am and was not seen again until 4pm on January 2nd.

Knowing that Olive’s mother and father had belonged to a poacher, Mendick wasn’t initially phased by her bolt for freedom, but became concerned when hours passed with no sign of her. Waiting by the hole into which Olive disappeared, Mendick considered digging into it. However, online research quickly established this to be dangerous, with the risk of collapsing the underground tunnel and suffocating the dog.

Mendick initially had trouble getting the right help. He called the London Fire Brigade services, who suggested contacting the RSPCA, whose phone lines were down. By 11am, Hackney Marshes’ park rangers were on the scene, shortly before other dog walkers arrived, frying bacon on a camping stove in an attempt to entice Olive out of the hole.

When this failed, more helpers arrived, including Mariam from the RSPCA, the fire brigade and Olive’s dog walker, Jackie. When infrared cameras failed to locate Olive, the fire crew suggested contacting a drain blockage company, prompting the arrival of Jamie from Dyno Rod.

With Jamie’s help, two trenches were carefully and painstakingly dug, and another camera was pushed into the hole from a new location. Finally, Olive was pulled out, heavily injured, with part of her lip missing and puncture marks on her face. It is thought that she had been attacked by a badger during her time in the hole.

Despite his key role in Olive’s rescue, Dyno Rod’s Jamie refused to take a payment from Mendick, satisfied to have helped return Olive to his very grateful family.