Dog rescued by Columbus firefighters after becoming stranded at Flatrock River

COLUMBUS — A young dog who got stranded Thursday at the Flatrock River is now safe and sound, thanks to Columbus firefighters.

Kobe, a 1-year-old male Boxer, had wandered onto a sandbar on the river when crews were called about 12:27 p.m. to the 3400 block of North National Road to assist Columbus Animal Care Services to retrieve him, according to a news release from the Columbus Fire Department.

Animal Care Services employees told firefighters they had been trying to get Kobe to safety 30 to 45 minutes before crews got there. At one point, employees gave food to him by dropping it down from a bridge overlooking the river.

Three firefighters eventually got to the sandbar by walking through a wooded area. There, one put on a water rescue dry suit and got Kobe across a current to another firefighter waiting at the riverbank, the Fire Department said.

As chance would have it, a passerby on the bridge told crews he knew Kobe's owner, who later came to pick the dog up at the scene.

The owner told firefighters he had been missing since 10:30 p.m. last night after he jumped over a fence and ran away.

"Kobe was unharmed and very excited for all the attention at the conclusion of the adventure," the Fire Department said.