SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, May 6, (Gephardt Daily) — The second dog taken by runoff swollen Parley’s Creek in six days has officials advising caution around all the rushing waters currently draining from mountain canyons.
“We’ve still got a couple months of this ahead of us and people just need to stay aware of the danger,” Salt Lake City Fire Department Capt. Chad Jepperson, public information officer, told Gephardt Daily Friday.
For the second time since the weekend, his department fanned out along Parley’s Creek in swift water rescue mode Friday night in search of a dog swept up by the surging water by Tanner Park, which serves as an off-leash dog park.
In the prior incident, the dog washed ashore alive at the golf course some 10 minutes downstream from Tanner Park.
No such luck so far for Oliver, the 5-year-old chocolate lab caught by the creek Friday night. He’s not been found.
That prompted Jepperson to post Oliver’s picture on Facebook urging anyone who finds him to call the department at 801-550-0121. It’s possible, he said, Oliver has escaped the creek at some point, possibly where the creek runoff calms down and flattens out at Sugar House Park.
“With the high water runoff the Salt Lake City Fire Department would like to remind the public to keep pets on a leash whenever recreating around the high water in the local creeks including the off-leash dog parks of City Creek and Tanner Park (Parley’s Creek).
“The water is flowing faster than you might think and your pet can be overtaken and swept away. This season we have already seen two dogs swept away in the fast current of Tanner Park.
“It is also important to keep your children away from the high creek flow. If you or a family member (pets included) are taken by the water, contact 911 immediately and give the location that the person or animal was last seen. Do not attempt to enter the stream.”
