Littlehampton dog rescue: Heroic bystander, 33, risked his life to save pet

Murray Heather, 33, was visiting the West Sussex seaside town with his partner Iona Duncan on Monday (January 2). The pair were taking their Saluki for walk when they came across another dog owner ‘screaming for help’.

A Collie had entered the fast-moving water, near the mouth of the River Arun, to retrieve its ball before the tide swept it out to sea. According to Alamy.com, the entrance to the River Arun harbour is the ‘second fastest tidal flowing river’ in Britain.

Murray said: “We looked over and saw a dog in a really strong current. It looked like it was going to drown, as it was struggling so much.

"I thought I had to do something. I couldn’t just let it drown.”

Murray, fully clothed, jumped in after the dog and was taken in by the strong current.

Iona, who phoned the Coastguard for assistance, said Murray was quickly ‘completely out of view’, adding: “It was really scary. He was bobbing along but we couldn’t see him anymore.”

Murray, who was in the water for up to 15 minutes, managed to get hold of the Collie by its collar and was dragged by the water round to the next bay – where he collapsed with hyperthermia.

Iona said: “We could see his silhouette holding the dog. He’d ended up on a completely different beach, which was a 10 to 15 minute drive away.

"He was blue and couldn’t breathe. He collapsed onto the beach and the dog ran away, with the ball he had lost.

“More than ten people gathered to shed their coats and warm Murray as he caught hyperthermia on the shore. He was lifted in a stretcher to the nearest ambulance."

HM Coastguard confirmed Murray was taken to hospital ‘as a precaution’ after receiving multiple 999 calls about the incident just before 2.15pm.

Littlehampton Coastguard rescue team, Shoreham Coastguard rescue team, Littlehampton RNLI and South East Coast Ambulance Service were all sent to the scene.

Connie Phelps, of the Coastguard service, said: “If your dog does get into difficulty at the coast, please don’t be tempted to rescue them yourself, call 999 and ask for the Coastguard. Around the UK’s coast we respond to incidents where people have risked their own lives to save their dogs from the sea or cliffs, sometimes with tragic consequences. Please, don’t risk your life, call 999 and ask for the Coastguard.”

In response to this warning, Murray – who is now recovering well at home – said: “I couldn’t watch it drown. I didn’t really think. I just thought I needed to save that dog.”

Iona said: “We know that [it’s not safe] but in the moment when you see a screaming dog owner and kids, it’s the only thing you can do.

"He is a hero because he could have died. A lot us thought he had.

“Thank you to the brave work of the RNLI, Coastguards, police, ambulances and doctors. Our own dog was cared for during the day by the lost dog’s owner – good people everywhere.”

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