BOALSBURG — Blizzard the dog may not have nine lives, but thanks to a determined fire company, a borrowed garden hose, a high-pressure vacuum truck and a whole lot of community heart, he’s back home safe after one amazing underground adventure.
The six-hour rescue unfolded like a small-town legend in the making. On a gloomy evening on Tuesday, May 27, Blizzard somehow wriggled his way into a storm drain near East Main Street in Boalsburg and kept burrowing, eventually ending up nearly 50 feet from where anyone expected.
But this wasn’t your average call for the Boalsburg Fire Company.
“It didn’t come through 911,” Fire Chief Van Winter said. “It actually came straight to our station. We just happened to be cleaning up from the carnival the day before when we got the call.”
Duty Chief Nate Detwiler was first on scene, and what followed was a rescue that tested patience, creativity and the full extent of local collaboration.
At first, the team thought they might coax Blizzard back with noise, water or even a charged firehose (minus the water flow). They tried fans, tapping pipes but nothing worked.
“He was stuck like a boot in mud,” Chief Winter said. “His chest and front legs were pinned, and every attempt to pull him just confirmed he wasn’t budging.”
Enter the University Area Joint Authority (UAJA) and Harris Township road crew. UAJA arrived with a camera and for the first time, responders got eyes on Blizzard. A grainy screen revealed the pup wedged in tight, unable to turn around but blinking and still alive.
It was then that the team made the call no fire department ever wants to make: tear up the road.
With Harris Township’s support, a section of asphalt was pulled up. Detwiler — who also serves as Assistant Road Manager — was down in the hole, cutting pipe and scooping mud and debris.
“Nate must’ve shoveled for 15 minutes straight,” Winter said. “Eventually, he got underneath Blizzard’s chest and created enough space for him to move. We were calling to him and finally, he just walked out.”
The scene that followed was equal parts celebration and relief. Dozens of community members who had stayed for hours erupted in cheers. Blizzard was lifted from the drain, handed to his tearful owner and was immediately rewarded with a hot dog.
“I’m not sure who gave him the hot dog,” Winter chuckled. “But the way he was holding it, he looked like he just won the World Series.”
Throughout the night, the phrase “rescue mission” kept surfacing and for good reason.
“You don’t train for something like this,” Winter said. “We’re firefighters. We prepare for blazes, medical calls. But a dog buried in a storm pipe? That’s when you start pulling on everyone’s knowledge, leaning on teamwork and doing whatever it takes.”
Blizzard’s safe return wasn’t just the work of the fire company. The operation involved 14 firefighters, UAJA’s jetter and vac truck, the Harris Township road crew and members of the public who lent tools, encouragement and plenty of patience.
“There were residents standing there for the whole six hours saying, ‘We’re not leaving until this dog comes out,’” Winter said. “That meant a lot.”
By the time Chief Winter radioed in that the “extrication was complete” just after 1 a.m., Blizzard was already in his owner’s arms, and a community had once again proven what it means to look out for one another.
In the days following, the story of Blizzard’s rescue went viral, picked up by news outlets and pet advocacy groups across the state. But for Chief Winter and the Boalsburg Fire Company, the real reward was knowing they got the job done and that they did it together.
“The dog’s safe, the family’s whole again and the community saw what can happen when we all pull together. That’s priceless,” Winter said.
For Blizzard’s family, there will always be the sound of saws cutting concrete, the sight of a fireman reaching through darkness. For the firefighters, there is the memory of that hot dog, of the blink of life, of Blizzard walking free.
For Boalsburg, there is something deeper still: the reminder that courage is quiet and that sometimes, it comes with paws.
