RNLI lifeguards rescued Chunky the dog at Newgale beach this morning after he chased a seagull into the sea. The hungarian vizsla was spotted by the charity’s lifeguards as he paddled further out to sea while trying to catch the bird.
The incident happened at 10:15am, only 15 minutes after the lifeguards arrived for their daily safety cover on the beach. Oli Blakiston spotted two dogs far away off-shore that were continuing to paddle further to sea as they attempted to chase a seagull. His RNLI collegue, Sam Ellison paddled out on his rescue board to try and encourage the animals to return to shore. By then the animals were 300 meters away from dry land and Chunky was getting into severe difficulties as the other dog returned unassisted back to his owners. The hungarian viszla was placed on the rescue board by the RNLI lifeguard and was returned to shore.
The animal’s owners, Richard and Val Douney, were visiting the area from Maidenhead. After the rescue of their pet by the RNLI lifeguards they said:
‘We thought we had a dead dog. He’s used to catching birds so he’d thought he’d be able to catch it. We thought we’d lost him.’
RNLI Lifeguard Supervisor, Stuart Penfold said:
‘People are very attached to their pets, and usually they are considered as part of the family. I’m glad the RNLI lifeguards spotted the dogs and were able to assist the animals before the owners attempted the rescue themselves. We hope that Chunky and his friend will think twice in future before chasing anymore seagulls!’
As a token of their gratitude towards the RNLI lifeguards, Mr and Mrs Douney have given a donation towards the RNLI for saving their beloved pet.
