RNLI Rye Harbour to the rescue after a puppy chased a seagull into the river
On Sunday morning Peter and Judith Young were walking their puppy Luna on the Rye Harbour Nature Reserve when Luna spotted a seagull and chased off in pursuit in the direction of the river. Her owners could only watch as she sped off so quickly and unfortunately she went over the side into the river
Peter’s first thought was to head down into the river, using the ladders on the side, to assist Luna but he realised that this would put him in danger too, so he rang the Coastguard and asked for help.
RNLI Rye Harbour was tasked by the Coastguard at 8.21am and because there was not enough water to launch the Atlantic 85 crew members made their way on foot to the place where Luna had gone in to the river. Rob Jennings, lifeboat crew, went into the river, rescued Luna and brought her to safety on the riverbank. Stuart Clark and Jamie Guinn, also lifeboat crew members, had Rob on a rope to aid him back up the slippery ladder. Peter and Judith were very grateful and took Luna back to their caravan to warm her up as she was shivering excessively.
Peter said, ’We would like to add our sincere thanks and gratitude to those great teams, the Coastguard and RNLI Rye Harbour station crew, for mobilising in response to our call for help to rescue our puppy Luna in the river early on Sunday morning. She had run off from us chasing a seagull and fell into the river. Unfortunately, the river was at low tide so it was some 5-6 metres below us so we couldn’t reach her. I must say it was a scary moment whilst we waited for assistance.’
RNLI’s advice when walking their dogs near running water
· Keep me on a lead if we're close to cliff edges or fast flowing rivers.
· If I go into the water or get stuck in mud, don't go after me. Move to a place I can get to safely and call me - I'll probably get out by myself.
· If you're worried about me, call 999 or 112 and ask for the Coastguard.
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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Contacting the RNLI - public enquiries
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