Specialist water incident unit from Heywood help rescue dog walker from River Goyt

Firefighters  have issued a warning to dog walkers after a woman was swept down the River Goyt and left marooned on an island when she attempted to rescue her dog.

A crew from Marple and Stockport were called to Brabyns Park in Marple at around 10am yesterday, 23 February. The crew were joined by specialist water incident units from Heywood and Eccles fire stations.

Firefighters found a 14-year-old girl and her golden retriever marooned on an island in the middle of the river.

Station Manager Bob Pownell, who was in charge of the incident, said: “The girl was out walking with her dog when it went for a swim and got swept downstream.

“The young woman went in after the dog and got swept about 25 metres down the river, luckily she found herself marooned on an island mid-stream.

“The river level was quite high and the water was very cold if the girl had got in further downstream she would have been swept away.

“The firefighters did a fantastic job to rescue the young lady and her dog and managed to get a blanket across to her to keep her warm while they launched a boat to rescue them.

“Dogs always manage to paddle over to a bank and escape from water, it’s very rare that they get swept away. People on the other hand rarely make it out alive, especially at this time of year when the water is cold and the river is flowing so strongly.”