Lucky Breakwater Fall Dog Says Thanks to Holyhead Crew!
Belle the Jack Russell is one lucky dog!
Holyhead RNLI volunteers rushed to her aid when she fell from Holyhead Breakwater on Tuesday afternoon (January 2). The 14 year old pooch was on a regular walk with her owner Hayley Martin, when the incident occurred. Belle, who is blind and deaf, fell over 20ft into the sea after being chased by her doggy pal.
Shocked Hayley, who lives in Holyhead, immediately called the UK Coastguard, who paged the Holyhead crew. The inshore lifeboat was launched and sped straight to the scene. In a huge stroke of luck, the low tide meant Belle was able to scramble onto a bed of seaweed, and await rescue!
Hayley said “It was terrifying. The crew were there within 9 minutes, but it felt like a lifetime.”
The worried owner even considered trying to rescue her pet herself, but followed safety advice to stay clear of the water, and be there to direct the rescuers when they arrived at the scene.
Lifeboat crewman Ian James jumped from the boat and reached the terrified dog, and managed to grab her and take her safely to the lifeboat. She was quickly taken to the shore where Hayley and volunteers from Holyhead coastguard were waiting to check Belle over.
Amazingly, despite being very shaken, she was totally uninjured, and was handed back to a very relieved Hayley. She was then taken home and given plenty of TLC.
“She seemed absolutely fine afterwards”; Hayley said. “I was more traumatised than she was!”
On Saturday, Hayley made a return visit to the lifeboat station, where she was able to say a huge thankyou to Belle’s rescuers.
And as a thankyou gesture, experienced gardener Hayley is planning on selling plants in the spring to raise money for the RNLI and the Coastguard.
‘They really are the heroes of the sea, and I’m so grateful they were there for Belle,” she said.
Praising Hayley’s actions. Holyhead lifeboat deputy launch authority David Owens said:
“Hayley did exactly the right thing at the time, calling 999 immediately for the coastguard and staying out of harm’s way herself.”
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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