Redcar RNLI called to rescue trapped dog from the river Tees

The dog had run through the embankment fence and was unable to get back up the bank to its owner.

Redcar’s Atlantic 85 lifeboat Leicester Challenge III was tasked with the role of searching for and recovering the dog from the river. The lifeboat arrived on scene at 7.10pm.

After approaching the area slowly just in case the dog was in the water, the crew spotted the dog on the shore. The Coastguard were able to highlight the dog from the top of the bank with a torch.

A member of the lifeboat crew waded to the shore and retrieved the dog returning with it to the lifeboat.

Derek Sutton, Helm on the Atlantic 85 said: ‘Once we had the dog safely on board the lifeboat, we wrapped it up in a survival blanket to keep it warm. I decided that the best course of action was to return the dog to the lifeboat station at Redcar where it could be reunited with its owner.'

The RNLI always advises people not to get into danger by attempting to rescue an animal themselves, and as Mike Picknett, Lifeboat Operations Manager at Redcar RNLI explained:

'This was a job well done by our volunteer crew. Our advice to dog walkers is to keep your dog on a lead when walking close to the water’s edge and not to go into the water or mud after them if they get stuck. Do what the owner did on this occasion and call 999 and ask for the Coastguard.'

You can get more dog walking advice from the RNLI at RNLI.org/TopDog

Notes to Editors

Redcar lifeboat station has been operating since 1802

Redcar currently operates a B-class lifeboat named Leicester Challenge III, paid for by the people of Leicester, and an IB1-class lifeboat named Eileen May Loach-Thomas, paid from the legacy of the late Mr Nick Thomas of Shropshire

RNLI Media contacts

For more information, please contact Andy Watson, Lifeboat Press Officer, Redcar RNLI on 07954 435834 or 01642 484491 or email [email protected]

or, Clare Hopps, RNLI Regional Media Manager, North East and East on 07824 518641.

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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