Woman and her dog saved by RNLI after getting stranded in the River Thames

Dog owners have been warned about the dangers of attempting to rescue their pets after a lifeboat crew was called to save a stranded woman.

The team from the Chiswick RNLI station in west London found the woman waist deep in the River Thames, clinging to a ladder on a vertical wall. She was told to let go of the ladder before the team could haul her into the lieboat with the woman begging "Please don't let me go!"

Having been pulled aboard both the woman and her dog were given a health check, with no major injuries were detected.

Describing what had happened to the crew, the woman said her Labrador Brody had sniffed out some food near the river and then lost his footing before falling into the water. In a desperate bid to rescue her dog, she went after him and ended up risking her own life.

Publishing the video on Twitter the RNLI added: "A dog and its owner found themselves in a frightening situation. Clinging onto a ladder and in danger of falling into the fast-flowing River Thames, they were in desperate need of help. Chiswick RNLI launched and brought them immediately on board the lifeboat."

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