Portsmouth Lifeboat saves doomed doggy stuck in thick mud from fast rising tide

The tiny terrier-like Griffon was lucky to be spotted by two walkers, who called Southsea marina to alert them of the impending doom unfolding less than 100m North of the marinas visitors pontoon. Unable to assist themselves, marina security located the animal on CCTV and alerted Solent Coastguard, the Portsmouth Lifeboat crew was called and Launched immediately. Rushing to the animals aid the Inshore Lifeboat was waved down by the walkers and directed toward the stranded animal.

On approach it was clear that the little dog was exhausted and struggling to stand on the far side of a small tidal island. Helmsman Neil Maxwell guided the lifeboat close before directing his the volunteer crew to walk the boat further into the shallows and carefully recover the dog to the lifeboat. Up to his ankles, Crewman Joshua Bowe waded across the thick mud, even falling to his knees to reach the distressed animal, Bitten but undeterred he was able to cradle the dog and bring her back to the safety of the lifeboat.

Cold, Shivering and covered in mud the dog was rushed back to the RNLI station for a warming shower while the attending Coastguard Rescue Team (CRT) attempted to contact the owner. The two walkers told the CRT that they had, by chance, met a lady who was searching for the dog in a local park, which by now the dog had been missing for over 24 hours (since Sunday 31/7/16 - 3pm).

Discovering the address a Coastguard unit was able to visit the Lady's home and bring her to the Lifeboat station to be re-united with the Brussels Griffon called Minnie Mouse. Spending some time talking with the crew she talked about the ongoing search and her relief that Minnie Mouse had now been found, but as the stressed dog had been reluctant to drink and unsure of how long the little adventurer had been stranded a trip to the vets will certainly be next.

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 146,000 lives.

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