A video showing the moment a woman dived into high waves to rescue her dog after it jumped into the stormy sea from the Donut groyne has prompted warnings for people not to do the same.
The film was shot by photographer Alessandro Intini yesterday at 3.15pm, when winds were near their height.
The Met Office had issued a severe weather warning for wind, with gusts of up to 70mph predicted along the south coast. A maximum speed of 60mph was recorded at Shoreham Airport at midday.
The video shows the woman going into the sea, and being knocked over by a huge wave as it crashes over the pebbles. She begins to turn back, before going back to grab the dog and being knocked over again.
Brighton and Hove City Council’s seafront manager Chris Ingall said: “This dog walker had a very lucky escape as the initial wave pushed her back up the beach.
“If she’d been in any deeper she would almost certainly have been washed out to sea and found it almost impossible to get back to shore.
“We always advise dog owners to keep their pets on leads, keep off the groynes and away from the shoreline particularly when sea conditions are rough.”
And Shoreham Coastguard tweeted. “We are truly lost for words. Please, if seen again, dial 999 and ask for the coastguard, even if we arrive and offer some well needed safety advice or have our colleagues from Sussex Police to also have a chat.”
Obviously whoever wrote this isn’t a dog owner themselves. Although the situation was dangerous and yes the conditions were awful but people treat dogs like family so would you jump in and rescue a family member? The coastguard and police do a brilliant job but unfortunately the time it would have taken them to get there would have been too late for either of them. I believe if you risk your own life for anyone or anything else then you should be praised rather than put down. Maybe a bit of respect for the family next time you write an article Jo especially with a Facebook cover photo that calls you a Freelance sexy tramp doctor fish.
An interesting response. Whilst I agree with you about dogs being part of the family, and wanting to rescue them, why would you risk their lives by allowing them to go so close to such rough seas? I think the woman acted on instinct and was brave, but she was stupid to allow the dog to be so close to such rough seas.
Wow that sent tears to my eyes..
I would of done exactly the same..
I always risk my life for animals…100% animal lover..
I have very high respect for this woman …well done.
Thumps up to this lady ! Brought tears to my eyes when watched the video.
I once leapt into the water to save an owl that had fallen in off the edge of a boat, I was being thrown around by the sea and so was the owl, then someone from another boat threw a dog in in the hope it would rescue the both of us, we were then all being thrown around in the sea, the lesson from this is that you should never throw an animal or a person into the water in order to remove another animal or a person from the water, thankfully the story has a happy ending in that a small rhinoceros waded in and rescued the three of us and put us safely on dry land, I owe that rhinoceros my life and every year I send it a card inviting it for christmas dinner and although it never comes I still feel that it is always welcome.
Very brave woman, think its laughable how the guy stands by and watches though thens pulls the dog to safety and leaves the woman to make her own way to safety……and they say chivalry is dead!
Why oh why walk your dog so close to a sea so rough, never in a million years would I allow my child near such waters…..stupid people do stupid things, no parent would do such a stupid thing.