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Rescuers thanked for pulling dog from sea
A dog owner today paid tribute to rescuers who helped save her beloved pet after he was swept out to sea by 30ft waves.
Val Powiss said she owed RNLI volunteers and the coastguard a "big thank-you" after they rushed to rescue Labrador George.
The primary care trust practitioner, who was at home when the drama began to unfold, dialled 999 after receiving a frantic call from her husband who had been walking the family pet near Hendon Beach, Sunderland.
Eight-year-old George was near promenade barriers when a huge wave caught hold of him and swept him 150 metres out to sea.
Within minutes, rescue services were on the scene and, as the dog struggled to paddle back to shore, a coastguard team directed a lifeboat to pluck him from the water before he was swept against a sea wall.
Val, of Grangetown, said George was lucky not to have drowned and paid tribute to the Sunderland RNLI and Humber Coastguard for saving her pet's life.
"My husband always walks him early on a morning before work," she said. "But at about 6.40am I got a call from him saying George had been swept out to sea.
"He was just in a state of shock. He said he could see George bobbing about in the water, but at one point he was completely out of sight.
"I called 999 and the coastguard and RNLI were out straight away to help. They were excellent. I can't thank them enough."
After being reunited with his owners, George was taken to a vet for a check-up and is now making a good recovery.
Val, 57, said: "George had been in the water for almost an hour, but thankfully he's OK. He's been given some anti-inflammatory tablets, because his muscles were working really hard as he tried to swim back to shore, but apart from that he seems fine."
Drew Mahood, watch manager at Humber Coastguard, said the owners responded in the right way to the incident, which happened yesterday.
"The dog owners acted swiftly and correctly by calling 999 and asking for the coastguard and by not putting themselves into danger by attempting to rescue the dog themselves," he said.
Paul Nicholson, senior helmsman at Sunderland RNLI, added: "We encourage dog owners not to go into the water if their pets are swept out to sea. Frequently, the dog will outlast the owner in those situations."
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Weather for Sunderland
Wednesday 08 February 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: -3 C to 2 C
Wind Speed: 13 mph
Wind direction: South
Tomorrow
Heavy sleet
Temperature: 1 C to 4 C
Wind Speed: 7 mph
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