Drowning woman saved by 'fetch' dog

A dog saved a drowning woman’s life by dragging her from a fast flowing river. Plucky labrador retriever Penny was hailed a heroine after she swam into the Elwy and pulled the unconscious woman to shore in St Asaph.

Her owner Brenda Owen, 58, of nearby Ashley Court, had taken her pet for a walk along the river bank on Thursday lunchtime when they spotted a figure floating in the water. Brenda, a custody officer with North Wales Police, said: “I’d gone for a quick walk with Penny.

“It’s a lovely walk and it was absolutely beautiful. Then I spotted a wheelchair on the riverbank - at first I couldn’t imagine what had happened. I saw another man walking with a dog and asked him if he knew what had happened and then we saw the woman in the water. I shouted: “Are you all right love?”



When there was no answer, Brenda shouted: “Fetch! fetch!” and instinctively Penny jumped into the torrent.

Brenda said: “The current was quite fast. It was obvious that the woman was unconscious and myself and the man went to help Penny who had dragged the woman back to the riverbank. “The woman was unconscious for about five minutes and had injured herself.”

After Brenda saw that the woman was breathing they placed her in a recovery position and dialled 999. It is believed the woman had gone missing from a nearby home. She was taken for treatment in Ysbyty Glan Clwyd at Bodelwyddan.