Dog, Los Angeles Firefighter Recovering After River Rescue.

Fox News Website ^ | 01/23/2010 | Staff

[L.A.Justice]

A California firefighter who was bit by a German shepherd as he hoisted the dog to safety from the Los Angeles River on Friday is not holding it against the frightened dog.

Joe St. Georges, a 25-year veteran of the L.A. Fire Department, told Fox News on Saturday that he suffered severe hand and arm injuries during the heroic helicopter rescue but is recovering.

[L.A.Justice]

It was the first news on a local TV news station in LA... The reporter was at the animal shelter...The dog was sleeping at that time...

[MediaMole]

Just watched the video. The guy was holding onto the back end of the dog and the dog was clamped onto the firefighter’s hand.

It was like really bad rodeo.

[truth_seeker]

I saw the rescue live, and it was great.

That 50 year old firefighter risked his life, and the result was good.

[DoughtyOne]

The firefighter did a great job. They all did. Hope the guy wasn’t hurt too bad. If anyone deserves first dibs, he certainly does.

Humans can be so Godlike at times. This was one of them.

[Lockbar]

Must have been a slow news day. 5 minutes later they did a story on a coloring book contest. Sorry, just have a bad attitude this morning.

[ARepublicanForAllReasons]

I know that river, having grown up a block and a half from it. During heavy storms like the ones now occuring we kids would sit on the levee and watch everything from basketballs to telephone polls float down the raging torrent.

Almost fell in a couple of times myself, and I was not a good swimmer. Parents should keep their kids away from that river when it floods. But just like my parents, many have the attitude that "MY son is too responsible/intelligent to do something like that." Not true. The spirit of adventure in young boys can override commonsense quite easily.

Also, my sympathy goes out to two boys who drowned while trying to ride the torrent in an innertube. I heard this from a relative who still lives nearby, and he saw it on the news.

[Scotsman will be Free]

“...find the dog a new home with one of the hundreds of families that have already come forward inquiring about adopting the dog.”
I’m sure that there are plenty more in the dog pound.

[erman]

about the most idiotic thing I've ever seen on TV. I couldn't believe it. A helicopter.... a f'ing helicopter. The weather wasn't great, power lines nearby and an unstable platform and weight coming up the cable.

I would have loved to hear the justification if, God forbid, the chopper had gone down and the pilot and firefighter died.....for a DOG!!!

I've got a German Shepherd and I love her... but I would never put her life over that of a human... especially a firefighter and pilot who have families and support kids...

What kind of PC idiot would risk that for a dog. It was stupid and dangerous.

Yeah.... great. You saved a dog. Put a couple of units out of service for awhile, wasted flight fuel and man hours in a city/county that is going bankrupt.... for a dog that more than likely would have somehow managed to get up the bank or drift down far enough that the water have gone down enough for it to get out on it's own.

When are the choppers and SWAT going to go to the city animal shelter and throw down some flash bangs, make a dynamic entrance and free the dogs about to get put down? I wonder if they could use the APC to just ram through a wall to free the dogs that we KNOW are going to die unless we free them....

I don't know, but somehow I think humans are worth more than animals... but that's just me.

[McGavin999]

Thank God it is just you! I’d never want to have anything to do with someone like you.

[ZX12R]

I think humans are worth more than animals... but that's just me.

Yes, humans are worth more, but the fact that someone would risk their lives to save some poor animal, is one glaring example of why.

[ladyvet]

I thought that the dog would have eventually gotten out on his own. Lots of stories out there about people going out to save a dog only to die themselves and the dogs make it to safety.

[erman]

Yes, humans are worth more, but the fact that someone would risk their lives to save some poor animal, is one glaring example of why.

I'd like to know how you explain it to someone's family that they're dad died for a dog if the chopper hit one of those power lines or lost power. It just seems a bit much. But like I said, it's not my call and if the shift supervisor and higher ups said, "go rescue that dog" well then I guess it all worked out.

[JPG]

How people treat animals is usually a pretty good indication of how they treat people, too.

[TiredofItalltoo]

I had a really hard time watching this happen live - I felt so bad for the dog, and kept rooting for him to make it out on his own. I had no idea the LAFD would go to such lengths to rescue a dog, and I also wonder how much the media played in the way this event unfolded. It had to tugging on people’s heartstrings - yes!! go rescue the dog!! we can’t bear to see anything bad happen to the dog!!! - but watching the dog biting the firefighter I feared that something bad would happen to the dog STILL - and then worried that the dog would further risk the life of the human. If the cameras wouldn’t have been there, would they have done this? Yes, this story could have turned out very differently.

[maica]

I thought that the dog would have eventually gotten out on his own. Lots of stories out there about people going out to save a dog only to die themselves and the dogs make it to safety.

#####

I agree. The dog was standing on solid ground part of the time. The firefighter who suffered “severe injuries” may not be able to work again. The helicopter crew also risked their lives.

[cyclotic]

Careful Pal, I got flamed bad a couple years ago when I suggested besides being a good training exercise, a sniper would be more humane than a massive rescue effort to save a couple dogs that fell through the ice.

This rescue was just stupid.

[Carley]

Wow, telephone polls. Did you ever see Zogby floating on by.

(just kiddin’)

[hal ogen]

I love dogs. I love my dog. That said...isn’t California and LA in great economic deficit? How much did it cost (aside from the risk to human life) to “save” that dog? How much in medical care, sick time and possibly disability pay will it all cost? Californians are INSANE. And to top it off their wacko governor is pleading for federal funds to help them fund such ridiculousness.

[erman]

Thank God it is just you! I’d never want to have anything to do with someone like you.

yeah, right buddy. You'd never want anything to do with me... cause I treat humans and think that they're worth more than a dog.

What if that chopper had gone down and somebody on the ground had been killed. Like a kid or some innocent bystander hit with a blade. That's not even taking into account the pilot and the brave firefighter.

you're a sanctimonious little sh#t aren't you. You wouldn't have clue one about taking the life of someone and risking it for a dog. You can sit there on your keyboard and flame away, but I've got my priorities straight and it starts with human life worth more than animal life.

Just let me know who you are when you come rolling through my ER so that I can make sure I take care of a dog out in the parking lot before I take care of you..... what a joke.

[HereInTheHeartland]

You are right on the money.
This is yet another example of misplaced priorities.