Cocker spaniel rescued from frozen lake in Wakefield after puppy raises alarm

A dog has been rescued after falling into a frozen lake, thanks to his eight-month-old puppy who raised the alarm.

Both dogs were being walked by professional dog walker Sharon Skinner near the frozen fishing lake in Horbury, Wakefield, on Wednesday 14 December, when Bruce the cocker spaniel dashed out onto the ice and ended up in the water.

The dog managed to get to the island at the centre of the lake, but his thorough-bred daughter, puppy River, was the one who alerted Ms Skinner.

She immediately rung West Yorkshire Fire & Rescue who arrived in minutes and brought Bruce to safety using an inflatable sled.

Ms Skinner said: "It was his daughter River that alerted me to something being wrong. She was running towards me and then off towards the lake, wanting me to follow. She was clearly worried and so I got her into the car and then went to investigate. 

“Bruce isn’t a fan of water, normally he would just have a paddle, so when I saw him on the island in the middle of the lake, I couldn’t believe my eyes. He was distressed, but there was no way I could get into the water to help him, so I called the fire brigade.”

West Yorkshire Fire & Rescue have praised Ms Skinner for calling them rather than trying to rescue Bruce herself.

It comes as fire services across our region have been urging people not to walk on ice after four boys died after falling through a frozen lake in Solihull.

Station manager Richard Hawley said: "The dog walker had been thinking of going into the water to rescue Bruce, but thankfully she called us instead.

"It was positive to hear from her that our warnings about being careful around icy water are having an impact. Dog walkers should always make sure that if their pet gets into trouble, they contact us straight away."