Woman rescued by firefighters after falling into icy lake while trying to rescue dog
A woman who fell into an icy lake at Himley Hall as she tried to rescue a dog has been taken to hospital less than a week after the tragedy in Solihull.
Fire crews from Dudley and Wombourne rushed to Himley at 1.25pm on Wednesday to rescue the woman who was in her early 60s.
A firefighter from Dudley entered the water and helped keep her afloat for 20 minutes while he broke the ice trying to get back them back to the side of the lake.
He got himself out onto the ice and managed to retrieve her fully with support from a boat. He also lifted the dog out of the water onto the ice so it could run to safety.
The firefighter suffered mild hypothermia as a result, but did not require hospital treatment.
And then, as crews were leaving, they were informed a second dog – walked by other people – needed rescuing and they took to the water again.
Amid fears that its owners were about to enter the lake, members of the service's Technical Rescue Unit used a boat to rescue it. It has led to fire chiefs issuing a warning over the dangers the ice poses.
A spokesman for West Midlands Fire Service said: “We cannot stress enough the dangers of winter ice.
“We understand that dog owners will want to do all they can to rescue their pet if it gets into difficulty. But please keep them on leads near frozen, open water - for their safety, for your own safety, and that of our firefighters.”
Dog walkers have been urged to keep dogs on leads near ice, not to throw sticks or toys on the ice, never go onto the icy or into icy water to rescue a dog or other animal and call the RSPCA, 999 or 112. People should also move to somewhere where the dog can climb out and call them.
It marks the latest incident involving ice in the West Midlands after a man was rescued from Baggeridge Country Park after he leapt in to rescue his pet, and comes after the tragedy in Solihull where four boys died after falling into Babbs Mill Lake on Sunday.
