
Save the dog from a 70m deep, 35cm wide hole - aalpat
A real-life engineering problem.<p>In Turkey, a 3 months-old dog has fallen into a 70 m deep 30 cm wide hole and it&#x27;s been there for 10 days. People and local government organizations are still trying to save the dog. It is still under 70m deep borehole in Istanbul.<p>According to tweets, local government branches of saving, rescuing, mining organizations are also trying to save the dog. They still need for more practical ideas.<p>Here are some information I gathered from tweets of Baris Sengun of Animal Rights Confederation.<p>Some info: the puppy is 3 months-old Kangal breed. They have considered to dig another hole in parallel. Since the soil is soft and muddy, they&#x27;ve been said it might cause landslide. The dog should&#x27;t get weight but they normally get 1-1.5 kgs per week. So they feed it under control. They tried nets but it did not fit as it needs to.<p>The hole: https:&#x2F;&#x2F;twitter.com&#x2F;MBarisSengun&#x2F;status&#x2F;830216289155182592, https:&#x2F;&#x2F;twitter.com&#x2F;MBarisSengun&#x2F;status&#x2F;830038601174044672
Video from the hole: https:&#x2F;&#x2F;twitter.com&#x2F;MBarisSengun&#x2F;status&#x2F;830223838034132993
This didn&#x27;t work: https:&#x2F;&#x2F;twitter.com&#x2F;MBarisSengun&#x2F;status&#x2F;831126486551764992
Hashtag: https:&#x2F;&#x2F;twitter.com&#x2F;hashtag&#x2F;yavrukopekbeykoz?src=hash<p>Any ideas?
======
macadata12
Take a 140+ m rope, fold in half such that there's a loop. Affix a sizeable
weight near the loop such that it is stationary on one side of the rope and
the other side moves freely through the weight. Lower the loop down such that
it is positioned, open, at the dog's level (like a snare). Wait for the dog to
walk through the loop such that front paws are on one side and back paws on
the other (obviously need a camera down there). Raise and tighten the loop (by
pulling the length of rope that is free moving through the weight) such that
the rope closes snugly around the dog (i.e. over its back and under its front
legs; NOT around it's neck obviously). Raise.

Edit: diagram: [http://imgur.com/a/W8PZ6](http://imgur.com/a/W8PZ6)

~~~
pmoriarty
Even better:

Lower a baby down to it on a rope. The baby can grab the dog.

Backup plan:

Fill the hole with water. Puppy will float.

~~~
leojg
attach the baby to double sided duck tape, this way the dog will stick to the
baby, then you just have to pull it up

------
stevesearer
It reminds me of The Crow and the Pitcher from Aesop's Fables:
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Crow_and_the_Pitcher](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Crow_and_the_Pitcher)

Without knowing the total parameters of what is possible and not possible,
perhaps they could slowly lower buckets of dirt and rocks to the bottom in a
way where the dog could just remain standing on the top of the pile.

------
tedmiston
1\. Bore a second (longer) hole at an angle 45° above the ground to meet at
the existing hole at the end. The dog walks out.

    
    
        ------------------------ ground
        |                  ⧸
        |               ⧸
        |            ⧸
        |         ⧸
        |      ⧸
        |   ⧸
        |⧸
    

In the meantime, lower a long hose with a GoPro on the end into the hole to
provide a stream of water and examine if the dog is hurt.

2\. Ask the fire department for ideas?

Some ideas from a Reddit thread about getting a small object out of a deep
hole [1]:

3\. "Could a hose with vacuum pressure grab it?"

4\. "Right now, we are thinking about making our own 20' version of the
"grabeasy". Basically a long pole with bent wires coming out the end which
will grab like a claw when you draw them in."

And from a pets.stackexchange thread about getting a cat out of a hole [2]:

5\. "The safest interactive way for everyone is to use a live trap, and lower
it down for the cat to go in and be lifted out."

[1]:
[https://www.reddit.com/r/needadvice/comments/2x94fh/how_do_i...](https://www.reddit.com/r/needadvice/comments/2x94fh/how_do_i_get_a_small_object_out_of_a_20_foot_deep/)

[2]: [http://pets.stackexchange.com/questions/8171/a-kitty-fell-
do...](http://pets.stackexchange.com/questions/8171/a-kitty-fell-down-to-a-
hole-in-alley-please-help-me-with-your-ideas-to-get-him)

------
zeteo
Slowly fill the hole with very salty water. The dog will float to the surface.

The stated dimensions will require about 7000 gallons of water. This is the
capacity of a large-ish tank truck. 70+ meter hoses should be readily
available.

~~~
Semiapies
Presumably _warm_ extremely-salty water, or it might get hypothermic.

However, if it's somehow wedged in there, the dog could drown.

~~~
gmarx
I think you need to get a camera down there to monitor the progress of the
solution

------
gingerbread-man
I love dogs, like everyone else, but isn't this all a little bit much?
Shouldn't they be considering solutions for humanely euthanizing the dog so it
doesn't have to die of thirst/starvation?

Argon gas would fit the bill. It's heavier than air, so it would sink to the
bottom of the borehole, and it's widely available due to its' use as a
shielding gas for welding. Most importantly, it would be humane and entirely
painless for the dog-- far more humane than leaving the poor animal down there
for days or weeks waiting to be rescued.

~~~
Markoff
i thought about it too, but then just replace dog with human baby for theory
purposes

------
sillymilly
1\. Long cable with a pinhole camera to "see" 2\. Another long metal cable
with a "loop" at the end to grab the dog. 3\. Aneasthetic gas to temporarily
put the dog into slumber so that the extraction is not stressful.

Send a cable with a camera along with an "extractor" (which can grab the dog
by its body.)

------
dijkstra123
1\. Dig a parallel hole adjacent to the existing one (w/ a large diameter).
2\. Then lower a person to the level of the dog (this person should have
oxygen support). 3\. Person then connects two holes by demolishing thin layer
between these two holes. 4\. Person rescues dog

------
saluki
Update: They got him out!

[https://twitter.com/MBarisSengun/status/830216289155182592](https://twitter.com/MBarisSengun/status/830216289155182592)

~~~
anotheryou
haha, just came to post this too. :)

Anyone knows how?

edit: I guess with this:
[https://twitter.com/MBarisSengun/status/831698128604692481](https://twitter.com/MBarisSengun/status/831698128604692481)

------
saluki
wire cage just below the diameter of the home, 3 to 4 feet tall so dog can
stand up in it, large cable to hoist it attached at the top, install a canvas
cinch sack, with grommets in the bottom, completely open on bottom when
lowering, run a smaller rope through the grommets, with the grommets low to
the ground on the cage.

Also need a light and webcam or remote cam.

Hang dog treats on top of the cage.

Then Lower the cage with the large cable till it's flush on the ground, watch
on camera for dog climbing up for treats.

Then pull small cable to cinch the bag under him.

Hope they get the little guy out.

------
kainolophobia
My first idea was to build some sort of balloon/inflatable device that you
drop into the hole. By affixing meat to the rope/hose, you can get the dog to
climb on top of the balloon as it slowly inflates. Once you've got the dog out
of the not-so-cylindrical bottom, you can deflate the balloon to the point of
fitting the circumference of the hole. From here you carefully pull the dog
up; making sure you stop if it's legs get caught/etc.

------
belovedeagle
How is the dog getting sufficient oxygen...?

------
kitafitfit
We need a small size intelligent being in order hold the puppy carefully and
place it in a basket or sth like that. Robots? Could work, but agents are
usually designed to do a specific task. For saving a puppy from a deep norrow
well, I don't know if there any robot exists. Anyway, we dont need to call
this an "engineering problem". It's rather a biology problem. Scientifically
proven that mature animals have instinct to save the youngsters. I would
release down a basket with another dog in it. When it reach the bottom, the
mature dog will hold the puppy from the neck, and place it into the basket
with itself. So I could bring them all the way up. A small size monkey could
work to. We may need a very small training for the saver animal tough, to
mitigate the risk of loosing both.

------
malyk
Reminds me of Baby Jessica

[https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jessica_McClure](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jessica_McClure)

Jessica McClure Morales (born March 26, 1986) became famous at the age of 18
months after she fell into a well in her mom's backyard in Midland, Texas on
October 14, 1987. Between that day and October 16, rescuers worked around-the-
clock for 58 consecutive hours to free her from the eight-inch (20 cm) well
casing 22 feet (6.7 m) below the ground. The story gained worldwide attention
(leading to some criticism as a media circus), and later became the subject of
a 1989 ABC television movie Everybody's Baby: The Rescue of Jessica McClure.
As presented in the film, the relatively new technology of waterjet cutting
was a vital part of the rescue.

~~~
jwilk
Non-mobile link:
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jessica_McClure](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jessica_McClure)

------
jbob2000
Drop an inflatable tube into the hole. Try to maneuver the deflated tube under
the dog. Inflate the tube and pull the dog up, using the tube as the "floor of
the elevator" (so to speak). You could drop one of those auto-inflating life
vests into the hole on a string, get it under the dog, then pull another
string to inflate the jacket, then pull up the dog on the life jacket. I'm
pretty sure you could get a vest large enough that it would block the hole!

------
wnkrshm
Lower a strong cotton (edit: or some textile, something strong and thick
enough) bag into the hole, with the rim of it held open by a strong wire.
Large enough for the puppy to climb in, put food in there and something that
smells human maybe. Best make the bag a longer tube. Hopefully the puppy will
climb into it, getting the food - then try to pull the whole thing up.

------
midnightmip
Cut a dog harness and add strong magnets on each end. Send down each half of
the harness on a separate rope and a camera... Where going fishin'. You could
do the same thing with a net. Just drop each half on a side of the dog and let
the magnets do their thing and connect to make the net.

------
Greg166
Fill the hole with water on a pipe that's lowered to the bottom (so the dog
does not get a shower for hours).

~~~
MaxLeiter
That's assuming the dog can swim/keep afloat for (presumably) hours - can any
dog experts/those knowledgable on the subject comment?

------
lumberjack
Cut the bottom of a small plastic barrel so that it becomes a cylinder, lower
it over the dog, have ropes at the bottom of the barrel to tighten it just
enough to secure the dog and bring it up.

The flexibility and uniform shape of the plastic barrel might make it easier
to get it down there.

------
codewritinfool
make a 28cm-wide cylindrical cage with a trap door in the bottom and camera /
light. lower over dog. trap door opens as bottom of cage goes over dog's head.
keep lowering until cage is on bottom of hole. raise cage.

it may pinch the dog's leg but at least it wouldn't be dead.

------
maxerickson
The dog has been rescued:

[https://twitter.com/MBarisSengun/status/831699209761980416](https://twitter.com/MBarisSengun/status/831699209761980416)

------
lebanon_tn
Gradually fill the hole with rubber mulch. Better friction than something like
gravel, lower risk of the dog "drowning".

------
aaron695
Put a noose on a rope with a remote camera. Grab the dog and pull.

Without a remote camera do the same but keep trying until you randomly catch
it.

------
robert_foss
Fill the hole with water. Dogs swim/float.

------
amorphid
Sell the rights to the story to a movie studio, and use the funds to get the
dog out.

------
azzronn
The dog is saved today by using a new made practical equipment.

------
CodeWriter23
Robotic clamp on a rope. Grab dog by the scruff of his neck and hoist.

------
throwaway413
How did it survive the fall?

------
LifeQuestioner
What happened to the dog???

------
kylegordon
The puppy has been rescued!

------
ZenoArrow
Rope ladder perhaps?

~~~
jwilk
Now you only have to teach the dog to climb the ladder. Sounds easy. :-P

~~~
ZenoArrow
You could put down another rope with a treat on the end. ;-)

------
slater
helicopter + dude on a rope

~~~
jwilk
Not sure what you need a helicopter for...

The hole is too narrow for an adult "dude".

A kid on a rope could work. Maybe.

~~~
paulrpotts
Next headline: "Save the kid _and_ the dog from a 70m deep, 35cm wide hole"

~~~
leojg
and the loop continues

