A man from Northumberland has reunited with Metro staff who rescued his dog after it escaped onto the tracks. Barry Churchill praised two Nexus operations managers for safely returning his Rhodesian Ridgeback, Bobby.
Rescue on the tracks
On June 19, Louis Meach and Alan Hudson found and retrieved the three-year-old dog after he strayed onto the busiest stretch of the transport network. They enticed him with chicken after he had escaped from a dog sitter's home in Gosforth.
Barry, 47, from Choppington, was frantically searching for his pet after Bobby was spotted on the Armstrong Bridge and in Jesmond Dene. He ended up on the tracks between South Gosforth and Ilford Road. A customer recognised him from a Facebook appeal and alerted staff.
Louis, 33, and Alan, 63, went onto the tracks while trains moved at lower speeds, got Bobby back on the lead, and walked him to safety, where he was reunited with a relieved Barry.
Staff reactions
Louis, of Gateshead, said: "I was at South Gosforth station when a customer said there was a dog on the line. I looked around and I saw him running down the track, we reacted quickly. We got on the next train, and the driver was able to proceed with caution, we then got out on the lines to look for Bobby on foot. We found him near an access gate and enticed him with the food, and Alan managed to get him on the lead, and we took him off the line quickly after that."
He added: "It was a relief as it could have been a lot worse, there was a real risk he could have been struck by a train, he’s a lovely dog, and he was pleased to see us. It was satisfying to know we had rescued him, and it was all in a day’s work, as operations managers we are trained to go on to Metro lines to deal with incidents like this."
Alan, of Jarrow, said: "I'm just so pleased we were able to get the dog back safely and unharmed. The owner was a relieved man, he was so close to tears. If anyone does lose a dog on the Metro line then please remember to always contact a member of our staff. Never attempt to go on the Metro lines yourself to get a dog back."
Owner's gratitude
Barry said: "I cannot thank the Metro staff enough for their efforts, I was frantic that day, it was a real ordeal. Alan and Louis have done a fantastic job, I’m enormously grateful, it could have turned out much worse. I’ve been keen to meet up with them, just to say a personal thank you, as they were amazing and they are a credit to their employer. There was this huge wave of relief when I got Bobby back."
