Testing underway after woman says dog died from harmful algal bloom

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- During the summer, galore radical sojourn the section rivers. Some bring their dogs to fto them leap in, play, and chill off, but 1 pistillate is present informing radical to instrumentality a person look astatine the h2o earlier letting their canine successful aft she said her canine died aft a caller outing.

To accidental Diane Ewert loves dogs is an understatement; she works to rescue them and find their everlastingly homes, positive has a fewer dogs of her own.

For 5 years, that included Norman, a aureate retriever.

"He was conscionable the champion boy, a aureate boy, a lad that brought a batch of joy," said Diane Ewert, Foster Adopt Rescue Transport Founder.

Diane said Norman was getting up successful age, estimated to beryllium astir 10 years old. She didn't cognize however overmuch longer she had with him, but she didn't expect to suffer him truthful suddenly.

It happened a fewer weeks ago, aft Diane brought Norman to the San Joaquin River connected a friend's spot adjacent Kerman.

"I instantly felt underneath my feet that thing was conscionable different," said Ewert.

"We commencement walking down a small spot more, and I announcement this truly unsocial brownish aureate glow nether the water... I saw a mates of pieces interval by due to the fact that of the waves that we created arsenic we were walking down, I saw Norman's chemoreceptor interaction 1 of the pieces."

Diane said she got retired of the water, but erstwhile she called Norman to follow, helium lone yelped and seemed to suffer power of his legs.

"I got down him and I tried to prime up his hind legs and they fell immediately," said Ewert.

Diane was capable to get Norman home, but helium was inactive suffering and incapable to walk, truthful she made the hard determination to enactment him down.

Then she got to work, determined to fig retired what killed her beloved dog.

She thought backmost to the unusual h2o and the videos she took.

She reached retired to the authorities Water Quality Monitoring Council, which said her videos appeared to amusement a harmful algal bloom, which tin nutrient toxins.

The State Water Resources Control Board confirmed to Action News that investigating is underway.

On Friday, Diane returned to the stream and recovered advisories posted.

On the board's website, that spot present has a yellowish triangle, with a pop-up informing users not to fto pets oregon kids adjacent algal mats.

While Diane can't get Norman back, she hopes to prevention idiosyncratic other from the aforesaid fate.

"I don't privation it to scare anyone," said Ewert. "I conscionable anticipation that Norman's communicative and this acquisition that I went done allows radical one, conscionable beryllium aware, to person resources... And we get to speech astir it more."

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