Firefighters rescue dog from river

Firefighters rescued Wallace, a 5-year-old Irish Wolfhound from the River Blackwater in Coggeshall this afternoon. 

Wallace had taken a dip in the river but couldn’t get back out over the thick mud.

His owner Judy dialled 999 and our control room team advised her not to enter the water herself to rescue her dog as she could put herself in danger too. 

Firefighters worked to rescue Wallace by 1:20pm and he was reunited with his owner Judy. 

Crew Manager Lee Hempenstall from Harlow Fire Station said: “Crews did a great job helping Wallace out of the river and back to his very thankful owner. 

“We know lots of dogs like a dip to cool down and sometimes they do struggle to get back out. As hard as it must be, our top advice would be to stay out of the water yourself. Do not get into the water to rescue your dog yourself, please call 999 and let the emergency services rescue them. You’d be putting yourself in danger too. More often than not, the dog will find a way out on its own.”