Man and dog saved by passer-by at Blackpool pier
Blackpool’s RNLI team was rushed off its feet on Friday July 19th, when a man, along with a dog he was trying to rescue, was found in a frightening situation at the town’s North Pier.
The incident took place at approximately 8:45am, when a local woman was strolling along the pier with her two dogs, one of which then ran off in excitement and the lead got caught by a sea wall.
When a friendly passer-by became aware of the situation, he attempted to rescue the dog. Despite his efforts, he and the animal got into difficulty in a patch of water that was filled with algae.
Thankfully, Rick Williams, an off-duty beach patrol worker, was walking near the pier when he heard the man’s shriek for help. Using a safety belt, Rick managed to rescue the man from the water.
Meanwhile, a rescue boat darted towards Blackpool’s North Pier. Nathan Lee, a Blackpool RNLI volunteer, used his skills to retrieve the dog from the water and fortunately, nobody was hurt.
Blackpool RNLI’s station manager, Paul Parton, said that the man and dog were extremely lucky to have had the aid of Mr Williams. Speaking about the incident, Mr Parton said:
“We have had some terrible tragedies near there but fortunately, the weather was merciful and it all turned out OK on this occasion.”
The summer weather may be pleasant, but it comes with many risks. Many lifeboat crews are putting extra hours in as people around the United Kingdom take a dip in the ocean to cool off.
