Southwold RNLI volunteers rescue a man and his dog from the River Blyth

Southwold RNLI volunteers launched their Atlantic 85 relief lifeboat Edna May at the request of Humber Coastguard to assist a man who had gone into the water after his dog and was left clinging to the harbour wall on the south side of the River Blyth.

The owner and his dog were only a few hundred metres from the lifeboat station and the crew were quickly on scene, they immediately took the dog onboard the lifeboat where it was comforted by a crew member.

Two crew members then assisted the casualty aboard, and quickly transferred him back to the lifeboat station where he was reunited with his dog and handed over to paramedics for a medical assessment.

Southwold Atlantic 85 Helm, Sam Doy said: 'This was a good outcome, we were quickly on scene and the crew were able to get the casualty and his dog on board, however we would like to remind dog owners of the dangers of walking dogs in the harbour area.'

The RNLI offers the following safety advice for dog walking,

• Keep your dog on a lead if you're close to cliff edges or the water’s edge.
• If your dog goes into the water or gets stuck in mud, don’t go in after them. Move to a place where the dog could get out easily and call them – they will probably get out by themselves. If you’re worried your dog can't get out, call 999 or 112 and ask for the Coastguard.

Find out more at rnli.org/topdog

RNLI Media contacts
For more information, please contact Jeremy Taylor, Southwold RNLI volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer: [email protected]

Key facts about the RNLI

The RNLI charity saves lives at sea. Its volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service around the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland coasts. The RNLI operates 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and more than 240 lifeguard units on beaches around the UK and Channel Islands. The RNLI is independent of Coastguard and government and depends on voluntary donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824, its lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved over 142,700 lives.

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