Dog freed by ‘earthquake’ gadgets

A hi-tech listening device which finds people trapped in earthquake rubble has been used to save a dog which was stuck in a drain.

Rescue teams used the vibraphone and a snake-eye camera to find the springer spaniel.

It became stuck in a drain near Louth in Lincolnshire at about 2300 BST on Monday and remained trapped until 1100 BST on Tuesday.

The last time the vibraphone was used was when the team went to India to help free people trapped following the Gujurat earthquake in January last year.

‘Good training’

Lister the spaniel was being exercised in the orchard in Manby when it became trapped in a disused drainpipe.

Ken Baker, spokesman for Lincolnshire fire and rescue service, said a hole was dug and the pipe cut after the camera and vibraphone located the dog.

The snake-eye camera is a tiny camera mounted on a long flexible rod while the vibraphone measures vibrations and sounds.

Mr Baker said: “You might think it is a bit over the top for rescuing a dog but it belongs to the search and rescue team and is good training for them.”