Man, dog rescued from Pigeon River in Cocke County

COCKE COUNTY, Tenn. ( WATE ) — A man and his pet were rescued by the Cocke County Swift Water Rescue Team from the Little Pigeon River Thursday morning.

The Cocke County Emergency Management Agency shared that crews were on the scene less than seven minutes from the time they got the call to rescue the man and his “fur buddy” from the river. At the time of the rescue, the water was running more than 5,000 cubic feet per second.

The crew included some of the rescue team’s newest members who were certified less than 10 days ago as well as some of its more season crew members.

“This morning I am most grateful and extremely proud of our team,” Director Joe Esway wrote in the Facebook post.

Photos shared by Cocke County EMA show team members wading through rushing, knee-high water with chains and other equipment to a white SUV to make the rescue.

“A special thank you to Stephen Whaley for training our team and Mayor Rob Mathis and our County Legislative Body for their support; they have ensured mission success and operator safety by continuing to approve the funding of superior training, and exceptional equipment and personal gear for our brave men,” Esway wrote.

On Wednesday, strong storms swept through the region, resulting in damage , higher water levels and flooding in some areas. As roads may still be flooded in various places, the National Weather Service reminds drivers to “ turn around, don’t drown .”

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