Dog’s lucky escape from water flow pipe
A MAN feared his dog had died after it was sucked into a water flow pipe in a County Durham woodland.
Hylton Marrs, 52, was walking his dogs in Pontburn Woods, near Lintzford, when one of them fell into what is normally a stream.
But heavy snow and rain turned the watercourse into a ‘raging torrent’ of water.
Border collie Cid was sucked into a crossing pipe that allows water flow.
Hylton, of Tanfield Lea, Stanley, said: “He simply disappeared then I spotted him floating very fast at the other side of the path and struggling to stay afloat.
“Luckily I managed to grab him and haul him out. I really thought I’d lost him. It was absolutely horrendous.”
He added: “It is normally a trickle but was a raging torrent with the thaw.” Now, Hylton is calling for the Woodland Trust, which owns the land, to install safety measures incase a child ever falls in. “Had this been a child then heaven knows the consequences,” h e said. “I think a grille needs to be fitted on either end of the tunnel. I could fit through it, so a child could easily get sucked in.” Andy Bond from the Woodland Trust said they aware of the incident. He added: “We take issues of health and safety within our woods very seriously, including carrying out inspections of water courses. “We are looking into it, it looks like it was caused by the extreme amount of water following the snow and rain, increasing water flow and current strength. “Pontburn is a large wood and we do advise people take extra care when they visit, especially in the extreme weather we have had recently.”
Had this been a child then heaven knows the consequences. I think a grille needs to be fitted Hylton Marrs