Shayna Estulin | sestulin@wtop.com
A 17-year-old Shih Tzu named Maya had to be rescued after somehow getting herself stuck in an air duct last weekend in Fairfax County, Virginia. Small Hose Pipe
![WATCH: Shih Tzu rescued from air vent in Fairfax Co. - WTOP News](http://cdn.globalso.com/rubbersixhose/b4d3bae41.jpg)
The rescue and reunion with her owner played out on police bodycam footage posted on social media Friday by the Fairfax County Police Department.
In the 59-second edited clip, you can see members of Fairfax County police and fire and rescue kneeling on the hardwood floor in someone’s home, struggling to reach the dog through the vent.
🚨🚔 Yippee-Ki-Yay, First responders to the rescue! With a seamless plan of action, a Sawzall and assistance from 🚒@ffxfirerescue, a 17-year-old Shih Tzu was saved from an HVAC air vent. This dog has watched her favorite Christmas movie, ‘Die Hard’ way too many times! 🎬 pic.twitter.com/H726wFnVeU
— Fairfax County Police (@FairfaxCountyPD) December 1, 2023
Eventually, they head to the basement and drill open a ceiling panel, gaining access to the HVAC duct hose, and out Maya pops into the arms of her very grateful owner.
The whole thing took about 25 minutes, according to time stamps in the video.
In the post on X, Fairfax County Police suggested Maya had seen the movie “Die Hard” way too many times.
In an iconic scene in the film, Bruce Willis, as John McClane, crawls through an air duct to escape villain Karl Vreski.
It’s unclear how Maya got herself into the vent.
Shayna Estulin joined WTOP in 2021 as an anchor/reporter covering breaking news in the D.C. region. She has loved radio since she was a child and is thrilled to now be part of Washington’s top radio news station.
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![WATCH: Shih Tzu rescued from air vent in Fairfax Co. - WTOP News](http://cdn.globalso.com/rubbersixhose/b7837dbb.jpg)
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