During the flooding caused by the hurricane Helene in Tennesseean unusual event became a ray of hope. A dog, called Athenawas found stranded about 6 meters high in a tree near the river Nolichuckyin the county of Washington. He Kingsport Fire Department took charge of the rescue after receiving notification of the presence of the trapped dog.
The storm would have dragged her to that height, leaving her trapped when the water receded. The firefighters, with the help of the K-9 unit of the Murfreesboro Police Departmentthey managed to locate her and finally get her to safety. According to the Kingsport Fire Department, after retrieving her from the tree: “Athena was happily removed from the tree and fed before being turned over to local animal control to be reunited with her family.”
The key to finding the bitch was the joint work of the rescue team with the K-9 search unit of the Police Department Murfreesboro. The police bitch K9 Curry and his handler, the officer Angela Alexanderparticipated in the search for hurricane victims Helene when K9 Curry He began to bark insistently, leading the team to the tree where Athena was.
“The funny thing about Kari is that she doesn’t like other dogs, but this time it was different,” he said. Alexander to the middle People. Furthermore, she added: “I am very proud that he helped find something good in the midst of all the devastation caused by the floods.” The officer recognized the fundamental role of Kari by pinpointing Athena’s exact location, allowing Kingsport firefighters to set up a ladder and safely rescue the dog.
Once rescued, Athena She was taken to a local animal shelter, where she was finally reunited with her owners. Allie y TJ Faulknerwho had lost contact with her during the hurricane Helene. The family had been evacuated for safety, but in the midst of the chaos, Athena He separated from them. For days, they thought they would never see her again until, thanks to social networks and a video shared by rescuers, they learned of the exciting rescue. “I was crying, I was laughing. “I was so happy,” he expressed to the local media, WCYBits owner, when describing the moment they discovered their dog was alive.
The hurricane Helene left a trail of destruction in its wake Tennesseecausing strong floods that destroyed homes and claimed the lives of at least 11 people, while dozens remain missing.
In the county of Washingtonwhere the rescue of Athenatorrential rains caused the river to overflow Nolichuckywhich caused numerous evacuations and led to emergency situations, including the story of the dog stranded in a tree.
The owners of Athena, Allie y TJ Faulknerrecounted their experience of losing their home and being evacuated due to the emergency. The family had taken their children to their parents’ house. TJ to protect them during floods, while TJ and his father later returned to the family home in hopes of saving their pets.
However, the attempt was unsuccessful due to the speed and severity of the flooding. During the storm, the family witnessed water and debris destroying their home: “A pile of debris crashed against my front porch.”TJ described. Despite the loss of their home, the family found comfort and hope by watching the video of Athena rescued and healthy, which was widely shared on social networks.
