Cedar Rapids firefighters rescue dog trapped in vault

CEDAR RAPIDS — The Cedar Rapids Fire Department rescued a dog that was trapped in a vault in Cedar Rapids Wednesday morning, according to a news release from the fire department.

The dog was with its owner, who was cleaning out a vacant building at 1900 First Ave. E, when the door to a vault in the building was accidentally closed and it locked, according to Cedar Rapids Battalion Chief Brian Gibson.

The owner did not know the combination for the lock on the vault, so they called for emergency services to help get the dog out.

Firefighters arrived and began using jackhammers to attempt to break into the vault through the concrete wall. The city sewer department was called in to assist with their jackhammers and air compressor. Another crew of firefighters attempted to enter the vault by breaching the steel door, according to the release.

At about 12:30 p.m., crews managed to break through the door. The dog walked out of the vault and was uninjured, the release states.

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