Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
Hero rescues woman and three dogs from reservoir
AN Angus gym owner has called for dog walkers to keep their pets under control after he saved a woman and three golden retrievers from a frozen reservoir.
Chris Fleming was walking his cockapoo puppy Arthur at Crombie Country Park on Thursday when the drama unfolded.
The golden retrievers had fallen into icy water and the owner of two of the dogs was screaming for help after going in to save them and finding herself in trouble.
Chris raced to help and fell in himself but with the help of another man managed to get everyone to safety.
The 40-year-old was left nursing scratches and ice burns as a result of his heroics.
Chris, who owns the Empire Health and Fitness gym in Arbroath, said he was angry the owner of the third golden retriever did not even thank him for his efforts when he returned the dog.
He said: “She just took the dog and walked away. I was really angry at that.
“Some people have said she was maybe embarrassed but her not having her dog on a lead put me in a situation I didn’t want to be in.”
It is understood the woman’s dog had dropped a ball when it ran over to greet the other two. The ball bounced on to the frozen reservoir and all three dogs chased after it, crashing through the ice.
When the owner of the other two golden retrievers went after them to help, the thin ice broke under her feet as well.
Chris got on his stomach to crawl along the ice, hoping his weight would be better distributed. But his tactic failed and he was plunged in the freezing waters.
Chris, from Carnoustie, added: “I didn’t think the water was that deep but it is. I couldn’t touch the bottom.
“But I managed to get everyone out of the water with the help of another passerby at the edge.
“I’ve got scratches on my back from a dog clambering over me and I have ice burn on my legs.
“My iPod and iWatch are also broken and I’m drying out cash that was in my wallet.”
He said it could all have been avoided if the mystery woman had kept her dog on a lead.