Arlington firefighters performed an unusual rescue operation over the weekend after a dog accidentally jumped into a storm drain.
The dog, Rocky, fell into the drain on Saturday morning at 14th Street S. and S. Fern Street, in the Pentagon City area. He was uninjured.
“The owner had parked next to the drain and was letting Rocky out of the car when he unexpectedly jumped straight into the opening,” the Arlington County Fire Department wrote on Instagram.
T105 rescued a dog named Rocky after he accidentally jumped into a storm drain when his owner opened the car door next to the drain. Firefighters quickly rescued Rocky, who was not injured, and reunited him with his relieved owner. pic.twitter.com/mePOU0aVAP
— Arlington Fire & EMS (@ArlingtonVaFD) May 16, 2026
Firefighters quickly arrived to lift off the sewer cap, lower a ladder and rescue the unfortunate dog. ACFD spokesperson Capt. Jamie Jill said the situation is unusual but not entirely unheard of.
“Sometimes you’ll see ducklings that fall in there because they’re following the mom,” Jill said. “Small dogs … sometimes wander in there. It’s definitely not the first, but I wouldn’t say it’s very common at all.”
Rocky isn’t the first pet that firefighters have rescued in the Pentagon City area under odd circumstances. Last year, a pet toucan got stuck behind a dishwasher in the same neighborhood and required ACFD’s assistance.
