According to a TPD Facebook post, Aaron Campbell and MPO Ray Cotis of TPD’s Marine Unit responded to a call reporting the stranded pups around noon. The dogs were huddling in a below-surface drain that empties into the river with no means of escape from the rising runoff water, according to the post.
Campbell descended into the river using a ladder provided by the Parks and Rec Department, coaxing the three dogs into his arms using food provided by nearby good Samaritans. The dogs were removed from the drain unharmed and have been placed in the care of the Hillsborough County Pet Resource Center, according to the post.
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It's unclear exactly how the dogs ended up in the storm drain. What is clear is that increased rainfall in the area nearly turned this heroic story into tragic one.
With 5.14 inches of precipitation currently recorded for July, according to the National Weather Service, and with heavy rain continuing to dominate the forecast, Tampa will likely blow the monthly record normals of 7.04 inches out of the water.
This is at least partially due to the kickback that Tampa is experiencing from tropical storm Chris developing off the coast of Georgia and South Carolina. This storm is, however, expected to continue on a northward path, petering out near the Canadian border, according to Fox 13 News.
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This article appears in Jul 4-11, 2019.