Labrador rescued: drifted 20 kilometers in the Inn Canal!

Labrador rescued: drifted 20 kilometers in the Inn Canal!

An exciting rescue operation recently kept the water rescue service in the Altötting district busy. On Sunday, June 15, 2025, a Labrador mix was recovered from the Inn Canal. The dog had drifted around 20 kilometers in the water and was discovered by an alert cyclist before the rescue services were alerted. Loud pnp.de The dog was able to escape to a sandbank in time, just before the power plant.

The two water rescuers Tobias Bonengel and Anita Wendt-Wallner from the Töging-Winhöring local group showed great skill in the rescue. Despite his exhaustion, the dog behaved well throughout the entire event. Surprisingly, no dog owner could be identified immediately, which is why the emergency services used a drone to search for other people in the canal. The water rescue service finally received information about a missing dog via the “spotted” platform and was able to establish contact with the owner, who immediately rushed to pick up his four-legged friend.

A second rescue mission

However, the Töging water rescue service was not only used to rescue the Labrador mix. A deer that was in a fenced area on the Inn Canal also required a rescue operation on the same day. A witness reported that the deer was unable to escape because of the fence. The water rescue team quickly dispatched a small crew to open the fence gate. But when rescuers arrived, the deer jumped into the water and was carried away by the current.

Thanks to a joint effort by the water rescue service and the Töging fire department, the deer was finally safely rescued from the water directly at the power plant. The emergency services took the animal on land and released it unharmed in the Innauen. Such animal rescues are not only an important task for the water rescue service, but also for the fire department. Loud ndr.de Animal rescue is one of the fire departments' central tasks in order to save endangered animals and at the same time ward off dangers to the public.

Tips for pet owners

It is important for animal owners to know that not every animal in distress requires immediate intervention by the fire department. Common sense can often help. Firefighter Theresa Balzer advises only contacting the fire department in acutely dangerous situations. For example, if an animal has an accident or is in immediate distress, quick action is required.

In Germany, the regulations on animal rescue and the associated costs vary depending on the federal state. In Bavaria, for example, operations are free of charge if there is an acute danger to the animal. Resources such as emergency cards and stickers for pet owners can inform firefighters and emergency responders about the type and number of pets, which can be helpful in an emergency.

In summary, this exciting day in Töging am Inn shows how important the work of the water rescue service and the fire department is for the safety of all of us - not only for us humans, but also for our four-legged friends.