We talked with Butler County Technical Rescue Team Commander Jason Knollman about the rescue and asked what his first thought was when Helmuth and Blue were brought to the surface.
“My first thought is all my guys are out, and they’re safe. The risky part of this is over,” he said.
He also thought about the family who had been searching for Blue since Thursday. He said they’d even brought in a drone company to fly their property looking for him before they heard him under the home Sunday morning.
“Obviously, they’re elated to have their dog back. This has been such an event for them,” Knollman said.
While Knollman and Helmuth both work for Liberty Twp. Fire, Knollman said the team is comprised of specially trained firefighters from across Butler County, supported by every department in the county, and assisted by the Butler County Emergency Management Agency.
He said most of the team that responded to Maple St. in Overpeck for Blue’s rescue did so on their days off.
“It’s invaluable to us,” Knollman said. “The level of commitment that these guys have to the team, and to their training, is phenomenal, and it’s what makes events like these just go seamlessly.”
Officials said Blue was taken to the vet for evaluation and is expected to be okay, and units at the scene secured the well to prevent another fall.
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