Photo by JEFFREY HASTINGS A woman who sustained minor injuries when she went into this culvert pipe to retrieve her dog Thursday afternoon is assisted to a stretcher for observation by medical personnel. Firefighters rescued her from the other end of the pipe, which connects to a manhole on Timberline Drive.

NASHUA – A woman believed to be a resident of Timberline Drive emerged relatively unscathed from a manhole early Thursday afternoon, after spending some harrowing moments trapped in an underground culvert pipe.

The woman, whose identity wasn’t immediately known, became trapped when she crawled into the pipe in pursuit of her dog, officials said.

Luckily, either a resident or someone passing by heard cries for help, and followed the shouts to the end of the pipe, which apparently is designed to carry storm water from nearby properties to the storm drain under Timberline Drive.

Nashua Fire Rescue Deputy Chief Kevin Kerrigan said calls were received shortly after noontime indicating someone was calling for help and appeared to be trapped in the pipe.

Firefighters manning two engines, a ladder truck and the department’s special hazards vehicle, along with an AMR ambulance, responded to what was classified as a “tactical rescue” call at 53 Timberline Drive, which is on the corner of Byron Drive in the city’s Lancashire Heights neighborhood.

Photo by JEFFREY HASTINGS Firefighters tend to the dog, a little dirty but otherwise OK, that was rescued from a culvert pipe, along with the woman who went after him, Thursday afternoon on Timberline Drive.

Crews upon arrival were directed to the end of the pipe, where crews could hear the cries for help, Kerrigan said. They determined the cries were coming from the other end of the pipe.

“We found the other end in the street, and popped the manhole cover,” Kerrigan said. They dropped down a ladder, which a firefighter descended, located the pipe and found the woman and her dog stuck inside.

He first removed the dog, which was dirty but otherwise appeared in good shape. The firefighter then assisted the woman from the pipe and up the ladder to awaiting paramedics.

Kerrigan said she had what appeared to be minor cuts and bruises, for which medical personnel treated her then transported her to a local hospital for evaluation.

Kerrigan estimated the woman got stuck about 150 feet from where she entered the pipe.

Photo by JEFFREY HASTINGS A Nashua firefighter makes his way down a manhole near 53 Timberline Drive to locate a woman who became trapped in the culvert pipe after she chased her dog into the other end of the pipe. She and the dog are OK

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Dean Shalhoup may be reached at 594-1256 or dshalhoup@nashuatelegraph.com.

Photo by JEFFREY HASTINGS A woman sustained minor injuries when she went into this culvert pipe to retrieve her dog Thursday afternoon. Firefighters rescued her from the other end of the pipe, which connects to a manhole on Timberline Drive.