Dog rescued after 45-minute ordeal in icy pond

By The Post | Saturday, February 04, 2012, 05:00

A DOG was rescued by firefighters after spending 45 minutes stuck in a freezing cold pond.

Rescuers in action

Collie/Jack Russell cross Clifford was being walked by his owner along Wharf Lane in Portbury when he fell through ice on the frozen-over pond.

The incident happened yesterday morning at around 10.30am.

His owner immediately dialled 999 but when firefighters arrived with an inflatable rescue sled Clifford had been treading water for around 45 minutes. The water was between three and four-feet deep, and temperatures at the time were only around one or two degrees above freezing, at the most.

Firefighters from Portishead and Bedminster, wearing dry suits to protect them from the cold water, broke the ice on the lake then waded in with the rescue sled. When they reached the dog they helped him onto the sled and brought him to safety.

He was then reunited with his owner and appeared to be unharmed, despite the freezing swim.

Avon Fire & Rescue Service praised the actions of the dog's unnamed owner because she did not attempt to rescue him – and risk falling through the ice – herself.

Spokeswoman Stephanie Mounsey warned the situation could have been much more serious if she had gone in after the dog.

She said: "While the ice may appear to look thick and able to take your weight, that may not be the case and just a few seconds in freezing water could quickly lead to hypothermia and unconsciousness.

"Avon Fire & Rescue Service would like to remind people of the dangers of frozen lakes and ponds.

"As the winter weather takes hold the service is urging people to take care when out and about.

"Fortunately in this case the dog and the owner were unharmed but had the owner entered the water it may have been a different story."

Write a story

Ads by Google

Comments

In that I cannot be doing with all this as Porthos says in Musketeers, what with the escaped budgie, the lost love birds, the water through the Permian landslide, the vegetable patch the tortoise escaped to over the Barb Wire only it was no longer our vegetable patch it was the next door neighbour's he negotiated through the stream mire and Jungle, where many tortoise trips had gone before, so he knew the way, so did the fish straight over the weir in flood that soaked the back of the house and down the drain, which still overflows onto the beach, this being the tortoise my mother never tripped over yet she also never fell in the Winnie the Pooh Heffalump trap under the cold winter washing line, something to do with knowledge aforethought. Many have fallen over the tortoise on Galapagos and still do, very slow and long time thinking. Anyway as Oliver Reed said you still have your honour boy, so we leave Bishops and Ponds of would be Bishops be and carry on, as the Principal said in 1979 and then gave up.

By MDSHydroGeo at 11:30 on 13/02/12
Report
Is Frozen Swan legal in a Freezer or just road kill classified if torn up by a dog as happened here at rhyne? We need a High Court ruling after prayers have been said for safety and health.

By MDSHydroGeo at 14:28 on 12/02/12
Report
While the owner cannot be bothered?, what was the animal doing in the conservation site?, why was it not under control? who lets their animal in their control into a pond in winter unless they are duck hunting? has this cruelty of the urban wildlife movement not gone far enough in 1950 when buses ran over wild animals rushing into the street causing havoc to passengers flung about the place as the driver had to brake. Why did the owner not get it out it is only water deep mire entanglement and industrial waste and the rescuers of course have to enact this ?? Yesterday the swans were occupying the road so why did the Council make that a road through when it could have been a nice pond link to the rhyne ditch and the two estates cut apart by a path, now it is an impossible building plan, but they exist all over with HGV traffic tearing through the land like dogs tear through people's homes schools Councils and everything else, the rhyne and ponds are not there as a pet animal toilet whatever species, budgie, mice, rats, nor any other. Perhaps this extreme would stop for the sake of children who have to be rescued. I am very tired of it after 62 years of the nonsense and it is our town our county our country, it needs some respect, so do the hard working councils welfare, animal carers RSPCA and general public, thank you.

By MDSHydroGeo at 11:35 on 12/02/12
Report
While the owner cannot be bothered?, what was the animal doing in the conservation site?, why was it not under control? who lest their animal in their control into a pond in winter unless they are duck hunting? has this cruelty of the urban wildlife movement not gone far enough in 1950 when buses ran over wild animals rushing into the street causing havoc to passengers flung about the place as the driver had to brake. Why did the owner not get it out it is only water deep mire entanglement and industrial waste and the rescuers of course have to enact this ?? Yesterday the swans were occupying the road so why did the Council make that a road through when it could have been a nice pond link to the rhyne ditch and the two estates cut apart by a path, now it is an impossible building plan, but they exist all over with HGV traffic tearing through the land like dogs tear through people's homes schools Councils and everything else, the rhyne and ponds are not there as a pet animal toilet whatever species, budgie, mice, rats, nor any other. Perhaps this extreme would stop for the sake of children who have to be rescued. I am very tired of it after 62 years of the nonsense and it is our town our county our country, it needs some respect, so do the hard working councils welfare, animal carers RSPCA and general public, thank you.

By MDSHydroGeo at 11:34 on 12/02/12
Report
Good!

By CliffordOK at 11:30 on 12/02/12
Report