Dog walkers praised after Dorney Lake drownings
Two dog walkers who watched as their pets tragically fell through the ice and drowned at Dorney Lake have been praised by firefighters.
Firefighters paid two visits to this summer's Olympic and Paralympic rowing lake within hours of each other in vain attempts to rescue the drowning dogs on Saturday.
Crews from Langley, Slough and Beaconsfield, as well as the water safety unit from Beaconsfield, carried out a search for the first dog at the Court Lane venue at 12.20pm. But they were unable to find the black Labrador, which firefighters say was being walked off its lead by a friend of the owner.
Then at 2.06pm crews from Maidenhead, High Wycombe, Gerrards Cross, and the water safety unit, were called back to Dorney Lake.
A white and brown mastiff was being walked on its lead by the owner's boyfriend as well as his own Jack Russell, but after putting the mastiff in his car boot it bolted off while the man was picking up the Jack Russell.
While looking for it in the venue's wooded area a woman said she had seen a dog on the ice, but as he headed towards it the dog fell through and firefighters eventually recovered the body.
Buckinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service spokesman Fraser Pearson said: "It is desperately sad that both incidents ended in tragedy. A pet is part of the family and the natural instinct is to try to do something immediately.
"It is a difficult enough job for firefighters and can end in human tragedy if owners go on to the ice themselves. We are grateful the owners had the presence of mind to stay on the bank and call for help."
