Right: Emerald State Emergency Service volunteer Jim Waring helps rescue Jed from a mine shaft.By Tania Martin
JED, an English Staffordshire bull terrier, miraculously escaped injury after she fell six metres down a disused mine shaft last week.
Emerald State Emergency Service volunteers rescued Jed from the mine shaft in Cavey Road, Monbulk, on Wednesday, 5 October just after 6.30pm.
The mine shaft was in bushland near Emerald Lake.
Nearby residents, Pam and Danny Melia, heard Jed barking the day before she was rescued.
Pam said her husband, Danny, went down to the creek to see if there was anything down there but could see nothing and Jed had stopped barking at that stage.
However, shortly after 2.30pm on Wednesday, Pam heard the dog barking again and deciding to investigate herself.
Following the calls from Jed, Pam searched an area of bushland and heard a dog barking.
Just as Pam was about to call for help she saw Lieutenant Peter Edyvane from the Monbulk Country Fire Authority who had stopped in the area on his way home from work to check out some old mine shafts.
Mr Edyvane said he then assessed the area before going back to the fire station and putting out a call to the unit.
The Monbulk CFA then marked out a track to the mine shaft and secured the scene.
However, Mr Edyvane said the CFA could not carry out the rescue as the unit was not trained to go down mine shafts.
He then notified Belgrave police who arrived on the scene shortly after 5.30pm and assisted the Emerald SES with the rescue.
As the light began to fade, SES volunteers prepared to enter the mine shaft to rescue Jed.
A ladder was lowered into the mine shaft and Jim Waring went down to rescue Jed.
Half an hour later, Jed emerged from her adventure covered in mud and a little frightened.
Senior Constable Matthew Barnes and Senior Constable Andrew Evans then bundled Jed into the back seat of their police vehicle and drove around the neighbourhood to try to find the dog’s owner.
The search was fruitless so Jed spent the night at the pound before being reunited with her owner Michael Koelewyn from Kallista the next day.
Mr Koelewyn said he was surprised to hear of the adventure and was glad that she was not hurt but it was not unusual for Jed to take off for a day or two.
He admitted he had started to worry by Wednesday night when she had not returned after more than a day and a half’s absence.
“I’m just glad to get her back,” Mr Koelewyn said.
