SuppliedA woman has spoken of her panic after she started to sink into mud in a disused canal as she was trying to rescue her dog.
Kirsty Forrest, 27, was walking along the towpath at Cotgrave Country Park on 18 October when her Old English Bulldog, Patch, who was off his lead, became stuck in the silt of the old Grantham Canal.
Ms Forrest followed in an attempt to rescue Patch, but then became stuck herself and sank into the mud waist-deep.
A spokesperson for the Canal and River Trust said the “boggy” Grantham Canal was made up of silt and sediment which had accumulated since it was closed to boaters.
‘Covered in sludge’
Ms Forrest said: “Patch was off lead and normally he behaves, but this time he decided to jump in.
“I saw he was struggling to move, he was stuck, it was all sludgy.”
Ms Forrest then waded into the mud herself because “it did not look that deep” but then became stuck herself and said every time she moved, she sank more deeply into the mud.
“I was panicking because I had my phone in my hand and it was covered in sludge, I was on my own with him [Patch],” she said.
“I had to scream for help and hope that somebody coming past would help.”
SuppliedWalkers did eventually come to her aid after about 10 minutes and the emergency services were called.
Ms Forrest, from Cotgrave, said her rescue was a “blur”.
She was thrown a rope to tie around her dog and ladders were lowered for her to drag herself out.
Ms Forrest said Patch was fine and “quite enjoyed the fuss”.
Fire crews from London Road Fire Station, Bingham Fire Station, and Highfields Fire Station were called to the scene, but Ms Forrest was rescued by officers from Nottinghamshire Police before they arrived.
The force has been approached for comment.
When asked what advice she would give to others in a similar situation, Ms Forrest said: “Maybe call the emergency services before you jump in.
“Keep calm that’s probably the most important thing. Keep calm in that situation, I know I did not.”
A spokesperson for the Canal and River Trust said: “This must have been really frightening for Kirsty and Patch and we hope they’ve both recovered from their ordeal.
“The canal here is made up of silt and sediment, accumulated over many decades since the canal became disused, and it can get boggy after wet weather.
“Despite the lack of boats, the canal remains a special, and very popular place and our advice is for people to treat it like any other canal by keeping to the towpath.
“We understand that it’s a natural instinct, but we’d urge pet owners to resist the temptation to follow pets onto the canal and instead try to find alternative means of rescue and seek help where needed.”
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