A member of the public fell through ice in an attempt to rescue a dog in Connaught Water near Chingford, before a passer-by entered the water to try to help, reports Marco Marcelline

Connaught Water, Credit: Stephen Dawson / *Connaught Water* / CC BY-SA 2.0

Two people are safe after attempting to rescue a dog that got into difficulty in an icy Epping Forest lake.

Essex firefighters were called to Connaught Water near Chingford, yesterday at around 2.24pm yesterday (4th January) to a dog rescue attempt that had left two people in icy water.

According to Essex County Fire and Rescue Service, a member of the public fell through ice in an attempt to rescue the dog. A passer-by then entered the water to try to help.

Both people were able to get out of the water and were left in the care of the ambulance service, and the dog was safely reunited with its owners.

Essex County Fire and Rescue Service watch manager, Gary Dyer, said: “We completely understand why people want to help in situations like this, but cold water can overwhelm the body very quickly.

“The safest thing to do is stay out of the water and call us – we have the training and equipment to respond safely.”

If someone or an animal gets into difficulty in cold water, emergency services recommend not entering the water, calling 999 and immediately asking for the fire service, while maintaining visual contact from a place of safety.

As bitterly cold weather continues, emergency services are also reminding people to take extra care around frozen lakes and waterways and avoid walking on ice, which can look solid but is often thin and unstable.

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