Politics & Government

Bystander Asks Town for Solution Following Dog Drowning

The owner of the black Lab has received an outpouring of support.

By Patch Reporter Brendan Lewis

Following the drowning of a 6-month-old black Lab, a resident and bystander to the incident has written to selectmen asking that a grate or some barrier be placed at the entrance to an outflow pipe at Riverhead Beach.

This past Saturday a dog drowned after it was sucked into a pipe at Riverhead Beach. The dog's name was Coco. Coco's owner, Mike Reiter of Swampscott, is among many now who want the town to consider installing a grate or fence on the outflow pipe.

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In a letter to the Marblehead Board of Selectmen and the town administrator, Bubier Road resident Michael Perez noted how easily the situation could have escalated had a child been sucked into the outflow pipe at Riverhead Beach.

“I was present, offered assistance and the result is a terrible tragedy, for that dog and the family,” Perez wrote. “Beyond that, it could have been a child.  If that was the case, the parent would have gone in after them, then we'd possibly be talking about two human deaths.”

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Perez goes on to say that town officials have looked into the issue but say there are obstacles involved.

“She [Drains Superintendent Amy McHugh] stated that they are looking into grates, but also spoke about several potential obstacles with options being researched and that it may take a long time, if at all,” the letter continued.

However, he still is asking the town to find some way to fix this problem and fix it soon.

“I've seen pipe grates all across the country and don't believe the obstacles are insurmountable for the extra measure of safety of protecting our families (human and canine). 

“I urge you to strongly support the placement of safety grates on these (and any other) exposed outflow pipes in Marblehead that may endanger us.” 

The incident happened about an hour before high tide, said the dog's owner.

The two concrete structures that house the pipes extend about 25 feet from the shore at high tide. The pipes are about 5.5-feet in diameter.

Meanwhile, Coco's owner said he has received an outpouring of support from people who feel for the family's loss.

People he does not even know have called him to extend sympathy.

The Reiters have lived on the North Shore about 11 years, five of them in Swampscott.

Read the full letter in a PDF attached to this article. 


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