Swindon river rescue: Dog saves mother from sinking in silt

A mother has warned of the dangers of becoming stuck in rivers after being rescued by her son's assistance dog.

Donna Kelly went into the River Ray in Swindon to fetch her son's toy but quickly found herself sinking in silt.

Within seconds, both her legs were stuck up to her knees and she had fallen forward.

She said she called out for help from Willow, a labrador, and grabbed her collar before they both swam to the side.

Ms Kelly said Willow came to the rescue again as the mother found she was so shaken by the cold that she could not pull herself up onto the riverbank.

"From the moment I took the decision to go into the water, it all happened so fast, my feet sank down and I started to panic," said Ms Kelly.

"I knew I was sinking deeper and deeper, calling for Willow was the only thing I knew I could do.

"My autistic son lost something on the other bank of the river and he became extremely upset," said Ms Kelly in a Facebook post warning others of the dangers of even calm-looking water.

"He started trying to take his shoes off... my son can't swim... I felt the only way to calm him down would be for me to go in the water and retrieve his item," she wrote.

Ms Kelly said the water looked clear and about knee-high, but she says her decision to go in was "a foolish mistake".

"Willow can swim stronger than all of us as a family and I knew she was the only hope I had." Ms Kelly added she was "incredibly thankful for Willow".

Ms Kelly said she shared her story to warn others of the danger of the stretch of river that is popular with children and teenagers.

She said the thick bed of silt "acts like quicksand and once you're stuck, you're stuck".

Her narrow escape came as nearby Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue warned that half of those who drown in its region had not even planned on going into the water.

Fire crews attend around 70 water rescues each year in Devon and Somerset.

The service said it sees twice as many runners get into trouble in the water as it does swimmers.

It said it was asking pub goers in particular to take care as it launched its Be Water Aware campaign ahead of the Bank Holiday weekend.

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