Helicopter lands in La Mesa intersection to save CBP dog’s life

LA MESA, Calif. (KGTV) — Traffic was put on pause last Friday afternoon on Jackson Drive and Grossmont Boulevard in La Mesa, as drivers stared at the skies instead of the road.

“We knew something was going on and something was happening fast,” said Nessa Lene, the woman behind a viral video of a helicopter landing in the middle of the road.

“I was kind of in disbelief. I heard it and then I look up and it's so much closer than you think,” she added.

An Air and Marine Operations helicopter was hovering above, and that’s when Lene got out of the car to get a closer look.

“The moment that they landed, it was, to be honest, a lot of dust in my eyes and you just have no idea what's happening,” said Lene.

As the dust cleared, she saw someone carrying a dog and running towards the Pet Emergency Center.

“As soon as I saw the dog, I was, you know, your heart just goes out to it. You see a working German Shepherd and you're just like, ‘Oh my gosh, I hope everything is OK,’” said Lene.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials told ABC 10News that a Border Patrol K-9 named Boo was bitten by a rattlesnake while working in the Otay Mountain wilderness.

Dogs need antivenin within hours, or the bite could be fatal; luckily for Boo, he had the resources of the federal government at hand.

“It was really … it was heartwarming to see that, you know, the dog was being taken such good care of,” said Lene.

After all the commotion, Lene shared the same question that was on everyone’s mind: Was the dog OK?

“I called here, and I spoke to, you know, someone here and I said I'm sure you're not allowed to tell me things, but I just, I'm wondering if you can just let me know that if he's OK? And, you know, luckily, they let me know that he's doing just fine,” said Lene.

Lene said if it was up to her, she'd do the same for her own dog.