A 29-YEAR-OLD woman and her dog Holly were rescued from the water at Courtown Harbour in Wexford by an RNLI volunteer lifeboat last night after a twenty minute ordeal in freezing water.
The local woman went to the assistance of her Jack Russell Terrier, who went into the water off the pier and got into difficulty at around 10.45pm last night.
The brave pet owner lowered herself into the water using a lifebuoy and a rope to save her dog but due to the temperature of the water she was unable to climb back up the rope.
A member of the public who was passing the scene went to the assistance of the woman and kept her talking while he phoned the emergency services.
He urged her to keep hold of the buoy as she was in danger of being swept out to sea and visibility was poor. The RNLI lifeboat crew arrived on foot and recovered the woman and Holly the dog to safety.
Crew member Aine Stafford said the RNLI would “advise people against going into the water after their pets as this can lead to a tragic outcome”.
“The RNLI will launch to rescue anyone in difficulty and that does include pets and animals in trouble,” she said. “We hope Holly and her owner enjoy their Christmas.”
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