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Dog owners thank The Mumbles RNLI for saving beloved Lola

Lifeboats News Release

Six-year-old Cockapoo Lola, who was missing for over 30 hours after being spooked by another dog, prompted a city-wide search that ended with The Mumbles RNLI volunteer lifeboat crew finding her more than 3 miles from where she went missing.

Laura and Eamonn Kinally were desperate to find their beloved Lola after she went missing whilst on a dog walk in the late afternoon of Tuesday 7 January. With the help of the local community and social media support from Missing Dogs Team Wales – it wasn’t long before multiple sightings of Lola were coming in.

Lola’s owner Laura said: ‘Lola was seen on a doorbell cam that first evening at about 11.30pm. The lady thought it was a fox at first but saw that Lola was wearing a bright red Christmas jumper, so it was obvious it was her. The lady rang me, but by the time we got there, Lola had already gone.

‘I spent about 30 hours looking for her without any sleep. I knew how anxious she is and it was really cold as well.’

Wearing her distinctive red Christmas jumper, sightings of Lola were coming in; spotted at a local ice cream shop, the beach, a park and even darting across a dual carriageway. But after 31 hours of chasing the sightings, hope was beginning to fade.

Then on the evening of Wednesday 8 January there was a glimmer of hope, when barking was heard from Middle Island near the Mumbles Lighthouse. Lola’s family and volunteers had been on the island searching when they heard the barking. It was a long shot as it may have been another dog. The tide was flooding and people had to leave the island before being cut off by the tide and becoming stranded.

Rather than attempt to stay and become cut off, or to cross the dangerous waters themselves, a decision was made to contact the Coastguard, setting the rescue in motion.

The volunteer crew of The Mumbles inshore lifeboat (ILB) were soon on the water, launching into darkness and starting to search, when they soon spotted something in an eastern gully on the island. A crew member was put ashore to investigate and quickly found Lola.

Upon locating Lola, the crew member carried out an assessment. She was cold but otherwise unharmed. The crew, who are trained in dealing with distressed animals, managed to calm Lola and made a make-a-shift lead to prevent her from running away once more.

The next challenge was to get the ILB close enough, so the crew could safely transfer the dog onto the boat. Acting quickly, the crew made the transfer at the optimum time. Wrapping her in blankets to keep her warm, for a joyous reunion with her family on Pier Beach.

Back home, Lola is now enjoying cuddles and plenty of food and Laura says:

‘I’m in awe of the RNLI and can’t thank them enough for rescuing her. I was teary when I heard they’d found her. At the time of the rescue Eamonn [my husband] heard over the radio that the RNLI had a visual of a dog in a Christmas jumper, so we knew it was her.

‘When she came home, she was starving, so she went straight to the food. I don’t know how I’d cope if we’d lost Lola properly. In the summer I plan to do a sponsored walk of the route that we think Lola went on, to raise money for the volunteer RNLI lifeboat service as our way of saying thank you.’

Eamonn added:

‘It was such a relief. They said she’d been hiding in a cave and the had to pull her out. She was wet and shivering when she made it back, but they gave her blankets.

‘The crew were fantastic and we’re incredibly grateful to them all, as well as everyone else who helped out. Thank you.’

Volunteer Crew Member, James Cunliffe said:

‘This was a heart-warming story for the start of 2025 and our first shout of the year. We are delighted to have reunited Lola with her family and are always grateful for any fundraising support to the RNLI so we can continue to save lives at sea.

‘This rescue highlights the importance of not putting yourself in danger when out looking for a lost pet. If you ever see an animal in danger on the coast or in the water, please do not attempt to rescue the animal yourself as you could end up in trouble. Instead, dial 999 and ask for the Coastguard.’

Notes to editors

RNLI media contacts
For more information please contact The Mumbles Lifeboat Press Officer, Adam Gilbert on [email protected] or 07717 793 890.

Alternatively you can contact Claire Fitzpatrick-Smith, Regional Communications Manager on [email protected] or 07977 728 315, or contact the RNLI Press Office on 01202 336 789.

Lola and her family back at home

RNLI

Lola and Owners

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.

Learn more about the RNLI

For more information please visit the RNLI website or Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. News releases, videos and photos are available on the News Centre.

Contacting the RNLI - public enquiries

Members of the public may contact the RNLI on 0300 300 9990 (UK) or 1800 991802 (Ireland) or by email.

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