Family of missing dog praise RNLI crew after island rescue

A dog missing for more than 30 hours was rescued by an RNLI crew after being heard barking on an island that was becoming cut off by the tide.

Lola, a six-year-old cockerpoo, was spooked by another dog when on a walk in Swansea, south Wales, at about 4.30pm on January 7.

Her owners, Laura and Eamonn Kinally, searched for Lola for 31 hours before finally hearing barking on Middle Island near the Mumbles lighthouse – three miles from where she went missing – the following night.

They contacted the Coastguard, with the volunteer crew of the Mumbles inshore lifeboat soon heading out onto the water in the dark.

Crew members spotted something in an eastern gully on the island, with Lola quickly located – cold but otherwise unharmed.

Lola was calmed by the crew, who are trained in dealing with distressed animals, and safely transferred to the boat – wrapped in blankets to keep her warm.

She was then reunited with her family on Pier Beach.

Mrs Kinally said: “I’m in awe of the RNLI and can’t thank them enough for rescuing her.

“I was teary when I heard they’d found her. At the time of the rescue Eamonn heard over the radio that the RNLI had a visual of a dog in a Christmas jumper, so we knew it was her.

“In the summer I plan to do a sponsored walk of the route that we think Lola went on, to raise money for the volunteer RNLI lifeboat service as our way of saying thank you.”

The couple received support from the Missing Dogs Team Wales group on social media, as well as the local community, to find Lola who was wearing a distinctive Christmas jumper when she went missing.

Lola was first seen on a doorbell camera at about 11.30pm on January 7, but disappeared by the time her family arrived.

She was then spotted at a local ice cream shop, the beach, a park and even running across a dual carriageway.

Lola’s family and volunteers were on Middle Island when they heard barking. They were forced to leave before the tide cut them off, with the RNLI then taking over.

“The crew were fantastic and we’re incredibly grateful to them all, as well as everyone else who helped out.”

James Cunliffe, volunteer crew member, said the rescue was the team’s first shout of the year.

“We are delighted to have reunited Lola with her family and are always grateful for any fundraising support to the RNLI so we can continue to save lives at sea,” he said.

“This rescue highlights the importance of not putting yourself in danger when out looking for a lost pet.

“If you ever see an animal in danger on the coast or in the water, please do not attempt to rescue the animal yourself as you could end up in trouble. Instead, dial 999 and ask for the Coastguard.”