Sea dog rescued

Toby the Jack Russell was rescued by lifeboat crews after he was stranded on a runaway speedboat.

Two men were thrown from their speedboat outside Hartlepool Marina and were trapped while it circled them with beloved dog, Toby, still on board.

Barry O'Brien, 63, and Philip Williams, both of Bishop Auckland, were left treading water with the propeller blades of their 16ft speedboat encircling them.



Lifeboat crews eventually reached the stricken trio and plucked the pair from the icy water. But Barry, who has had a number of heart attacks, refused to go to hospital until he was reunited with Toby.

The Hartlepool Royal National Lifeboat Institution rescued the shaken dog by crews on the all-weather and in shore lifeboats who swung a rope between their boats and dragged it over the propellers of the speedboat bringing it to a halt.

With video of Toby's rescue.