Pet AirTag helps California firefighters track down dog swept away in floodwaters

BySid Garcia KABC logo
Thursday, January 19, 2023
San Bernardino County crews rescue dog swept away in storm drain
A dog was rescued after he was swept away by floodwaters in San Bernardino County. Thanks to an Apple AirTag and his collar ID, firefighters were able to track the dog down faster.

SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. -- A dog was miraculously rescued after he was swept away by floodwaters in San Bernardino County, California Monday.

The 1-year-old pup, Seamus, an Australian Shepherd, fell into a fast-moving storm drain after he ran away from his owner while on a walk.

Before his dog mom could grab him, Seamus found his way into a flood control basin, and was pulled away by fast-moving waters.

"He got away from me, and he just went down into this drainage," Seamus' owner Emilie Brill said. "The water was going so fast. I think all it took was one paw in that water, and he was gone."

Somehow, he found a way out and crawled into an access tube nearby. That's where firefighters rescued him.

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Crews were flagged down by an employee at an RV facility. The employee told them he saw Seamus floating down the channel and ended up in the access tube.

Thanks to an Apple AirTag and his collar ID, Seamus was immediately reunited with his family.

"Seamus was equipped with both Apple AirTag & a conventional ID Tag which aided rescuers and owners in tracking the pup and reuniting them," the fire department said in a social media post.

Meanwhile, Brill is grateful to be reunited with her pup.

"I was just blown away by that level of response from our emergency services," Brill said.