A park ranger in the UK saved a dog from drowning shortly after a visit from members of the Royal Family.
Prince Edward and his wife Sophie, Countess of Wessex, had visited Avenham and Miller Park in the city of Preston, and park ranger Michael Ashmore sported a new uniform to mark the occasion.
However, minutes after the Royals left, he found himself jumping into the River Ribble to save a dog called Faye, who was trying to stay afloat in the water.
Park Ranger to the Rescue
Ashmore, who’d worked at the park for eight years, described it as part of typical park life. “We were coming back in for a debrief and coming along I noticed there was a bit of commotion by the river,” he explained.
Another man, Stephen Geraghty, alerted emergency services, and sat with Gloria – Faye’s dog mom. Meanwhile, Ashmore followed the river to find Faye, and the emergency services weren’t actually needed in the end.
Once he saw that the water was shallow enough, he got into the water and “had a bit of a paddle about looking for her. It was knee height and then it was waist height. Grabbed her by the back and she barked and I thought, great!”
Once he was able to leave the river with Faye, he handed her back to Gloria. “To see Gloria’s face and to hand back the dog, it was unbelievable,” explained Ashmore. “She must have been going through so many different emotions. I think she knew what could have happened and then it didn’t. It was all different emotions going on.”
Safety First
Ashmore was able to assess the situation with his experience. However, he had some words of safety for others who might want to get into the water in a similar situation.
“Please, please, please, please follow the safety guidelines,” he said. “If you have to go in, risk assess it and make a call.
“Go to the emergency services and let them go in with a boat. I really can’t stress that enough, especially along the River Ribble.”
And, for any trips in the water, a life jacket for your pup might be a good idea.
