A ‘desperately’ scared dog who fell 14ft into the River Thames has been rescued by lifeboat crews.
The operation by Gravesend’s RNLI, which was captured on video, shows the poorly pooch, Freddie, crying in the water and “desperately clawing” at the Thames Path wall, near Tilbury Fort.
The canine came into trouble last Friday (May 31) at around 6.42pm, when the London Coastguard alerted the lifeboat service.
Gravesend RNLI’s Atlantic 85 arrived on scene within 60 seconds and immediately spotted the dog’s owner leaning over the Thames Path wall.
With only ten minutes left of a rising tide, the volunteer crew located Freddie before retrieving him from the water and bringing him on board.
The video also shows the moment the scared animal is dried by the crew and brought safely to land.
RNLI Thames Commander Andy Colley said: “We had already had a busy day, what with a tasking at 8.21am to Erith and then a day of exercise, we were just getting ready for shift handover and the direct line from London Coastguard rang.”
Tilbury Port Line Hander Chris Turner added: “I’d just finished with the departure of a vessel and when returning to my vehicle I noticed the lifeboat with the flashing blue lights against the shore, next minute it was coming towards me, I didn’t expect them to moor up at Tilbury Terminal with a dog on board!”
The volunteers returned to station at 7.08pm before being made ready for service with the night shift crew at 7.30pm.
RNLI volunteer Aaron Reynolds said: “It’s always a great feeling to witness the reuniting of a dog with its owner, especially after jumping a 14ft wall into a wet landing in the Thames!”
Gravesend RNLI is one of the RNLI’s newest lifeboat stations and one of four lifeboat stations operating on the River Thames.
