Race to save trapped dog

FIREFIGHTERS had a race against time to rescue a dog trapped in a sluice paddle on the Manchester Ship Canal yesterday (Friday) as it could only be shut off for an hour.

The black and white crossbreed had became trapped by the lower end of the paddle at Irlam Locks, and it was by sheer luck that a passer-by heard its cries of distress, Alan Tilbury reveals.

Freezing temperature

He called the emergency services, with the RSPCA being the first on the scene, in turn alerting the fire service, whose officers used a ladder to get down to the paddle in freezing temperatures.

The problem was that the sluice paddle automatically regulated the water level, and could only be switched off for an hour, and had to be switched off as it could move and trap a member of the rescue team.

Used a rope

The firefighters used a rope to bring the dog up, with one holding its dangling head, and though very wet and cold, it quickly revived.

The attempt to trace its owner failed, so there is no knowledge of how the dog came to be in such a precarious position with no one seemingly interested in its welfare, with the thinking being that it was abandoned.  It is now with the dog warden.