WOMAN AND DOG RESCUED
A woman is hoping to be reunited with a Good Samaritan who helped save the lives of her and her dog after she dived into freezing water when her beloved pet fell in a pond.
Christina Votter was out walking Bonnie in James Steel Park, Washington, when the dog fell through ice on a pond as she chased a duck.
Desperate Christina then jumped into the sub-zero water to save Bonnie.
As Christina and Bonnie struggled to get out, a man passing the scene witnessed what was happening before alerting the emergency services.
Christina and Bonnie, a Cross St Bernard Pyrenees mountain rescue dog, managed to get out of the pond with firefighters, paramedics and police rushing to the scene in Fatfield to make sure all involved were okay.
Christina, who is now recovering at home with Bonnie and her three dogs after being “shaken up”, wants to track down the mystery man to offer her thanks, saying ‘he saved both of us’.
“I go to that park regularly with Bonnie and she never chases ducks, but for some reason this time she did,” said the cleaner.
After tying up her other dogs and getting into the water herself to save Bonnie, Christina, 51, thinks she was stuck for 10 minutes before the Good Samaritan passed and called 999.
“If it wasn’t for him I would have drowned,” she said. “I couldn’t shout for help any longer
“Bonnie was trying to get on my back and get hold of the trees to get out, but it was that cold that the branches were snapping.
“When the man came he wanted to get in the water, but I shouted at him not to.”
As emergency services made their way to help a freezing Christina, she managed to free herself and Bonnie and get them out.
On arrival a firefighter gave Christina some of his clothing to prevent hypothermia setting in.
“I’ve got to say a huge thank you to the police, firefighters and ambulance paramedics who came,” she said.
Christina says she now wants to personally thank the man who came to her rescue.
“The only thing I can remember is he was wearing a sky blue padded jacket,” said Christina, who lives near Leam Lane, close to Springwell Village. “But whoever he is, he is a hero and I can’t thank him enough.”
Are you the person who saved Christina and Bonnie? Call our newsdesk on 0191 501 7326.
“He is a hero and I can’t thank him enough” CHRISTINA VOTTER