Lifeboat crew and coastguard personnel have been honoured with a Hero to Animals award from Peta for their courageous rescue of a dog from the sea. The North Berwick RNLI and coastguard teams saved a Weimaraner named Sparkle after she slipped four metres off a harbour wall at Seacliff beach in East Lothian in February.
Heart-Stopping Incident
Sparkle plunged into the cold water, prompting her 73-year-old owner, David Hall, to enter the sea to help. Mr Hall told the RNLI that the waves at the harbour entrance were "crashing" as the swell rose and fell. He said: "I know all the rules about not going after an animal, but those rules don't count… So [I] took my glasses off, my jacket off, [and] I went down the ladder."
Mr Hall was in the water up to his waist, holding onto the ladder and Sparkle's collar until help arrived. During the incident, a second member of the public also entered the water to assist.
Rescue and Recognition
When rescuers arrived, they provided care and assistance to the people who had been in the water, and Sparkle was safely recovered from the sea. In recognition of their bravery, crew members from the North Berwick RNLI and coastguard were presented with the Hero to Animals award.
Peta's senior vice president Mimi Bekhechi said: "Thanks to these rescuers' heroic actions, what could have been a tragedy for Sparkle and her guardians had a happy ending. We hope their compassionate deed will inspire others to help animals in need."
Jamie Humpage, station officer at North Berwick Coastguard Rescue Team, said the team was "honoured". "We had over 100 callouts last year, but it's rescues like this that stick in the mind," Mr Humpage added.
Matthew Gibbons, volunteer helm at North Berwick Lifeboat Station, described it as "heartwarming" to see Sparkle and her owner reunited. "We are glad that the incident ended in a positive outcome," he said.
