Ninth dog walker rescued by Chiswick RNLI crew in 2018
At 9.35am on Monday morning 19 November 2018 Chiswick lifeboat crew responded to a report of a woman and her dog in the water downstream from Hammersmith Bridge. Four minutes later they arrived to find a woman in the Thames at the foot of the river wall.
Monty, a four month old rescue dog from Battersea Dog’s Home, had chased some birds and careered off the riverside path into the Thames. The owner had clambered down a ladder and got hold of the dog.
She then managed to get Monty up to her friend above but the strong rising tide made it impossible for her to get back to the ladder. She was standing in around metre of water so it was straightforward for the crew to get her into the lifeboat; within half an hour the water would have risen another metre.
The crew gave her blankets and treated her for some minor grazes. Since she had been in the water, they advised her to visit A&E to enquire about getting a tetanus injection. The woman was very grateful for the crew for rescuing her and was in good spirits. Her main concern, after knowing that she and her dog were safe, was that her friend might be late for yoga.
As she was otherwise uninjured she was landed at the steps in Bishop’s Park close to her friend’s house.
This was the ninth dog related rescue for Chiswick RNLI in 2018. Helmsman Glen Monroe commented: ‘ We learnt that the woman’s friend had immediately called HM Coastguard on 999. Her swift action significantly reduced the time it took for us to reach the casualty. It was a cool morning, with wet clothing in a fierce easterly wind she was cooling rapidly. The fast response meant she needed no further treatment beyond the initial first aid.’
Chiswick RNLI lifeboat station is the second busiest in the UK and Ireland. Since The RNLI search and rescue service on the Thames started in 2002, Chiswick RNLI Lifeboat has attended over 3,500 incidents and rescued over 1,730 people. The RNLI is entirely funded by public donations.
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- David Clarke RNLI Volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer (Chiswick), 07951 21 0500 [email protected]
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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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