Karen Maitchell, 66, from Darlington, says she "died for 15 minutes" after jumping into a lake to rescue her granddaughter's dog. She suffered a cardiac arrest after being pulled from the water and was resuscitated by emergency services.
Rescue at South Park
The incident took place at South Park in April 2024. Maitchell had been walking her own dog and her granddaughter's dog with family and friends when heavy rain, thunder and lightning forced the group to shelter in the park's café. When they ventured back outside, the granddaughter's six-month-old cocker spaniel, named Rolo, ran towards the overflowing lake and leapt in.
Maitchell said: "All I could think about was my granddaughter and how she's going to absolutely be broken-hearted if her dog dies. So, I threw myself into the lake to try and save him." She lost consciousness while searching for Rolo, and a passing firefighter volunteered to enter the lake to help. Rolo made it back to dry land, but Maitchell suffered a cardiac arrest, and the man who assisted her began CPR.
Emergency response and recovery
The North East Ambulance Service (NEAS), Great North Air Ambulance Service (GNAAS) and police officers rushed to the scene. She was resuscitated using a defibrillator and placed into a medically induced coma before being transferred to Darlington Memorial Hospital, where she remained unconscious for several days.
Maitchell said: "I was told that there were around 40 or 50 people who turned up at the hospital and some of them were saying goodbye to me. Apparently my eldest son walked in, and he said all the machines were going off, and everyone was hysterical. All of a sudden I just woke up out of that coma."
Coincidence and gratitude
In a coincidence, the passer-by who came to her aid turned out to be the husband of a hospital staff member. Maitchell said: "I remember waking up and seeing this lovely lady standing by my bed, asking how I was doing because her husband needed to know that I was alright. She explained that he was the man in the park and I just started crying and said: 'Oh crikey.'"
After spending a couple of weeks in hospital, Maitchell returned home to recover. She said: "I feel like I'm very very lucky to be alive and I can't thank everyone enough. GNAAS, the police, NEAS and the man who gave me CPR all worked together to save my life. I honestly wouldn't be here if they hadn't helped me."
She has since organised a charity evening with a disco and raffle in support of GNAAS, raising £1,400. She added: "I am over the moon to have raised that amount of money. Special thanks to my sister Michelle, my niece Amanda, and my friends Alison and Bailey, who all played a special role, in organising the event."
