THIRTY volunteer casualties braved the chilly waters of a Cotswold Water Park lake and allowed themselves to be rescued by Newfoundland dogs so they could raise money for other assistance dogs.

The sponsored event at South Cerney Outdoor Education Centre, on Saturday to help Hearing Dogs, raised more than £4,000.

“It went really well,” said Hilary Coates of Wagging Tails, who ran the event with Alexis Bennett. “We had some very enthusiastic fundraisers.”

With their webbed paws and water-resistant double coats, the huge hounds are famed for their water rescue abilities and 10 of them took part in the day, demonstrating their special training.

“The Newfoundland Friends group does an amazing job and make sure that people really enjoy being rescued,” said Hilary.

As well as the rescues, visitors also had a chance to learn about the impact hearing dogs have on the lives of deaf people.

Newfoundland Friends started nearly 30 years ago with the aim of using their skills to raise money for children’s charities.

has recently been supporting other charities like Dogs for the Disabled, Guide Dogs.

Hearing Dogs trains dogs to help deaf people by alerting them to sounds they would miss, like door bells, fire alarms and even mobile phone texts.

The dogs also help to reduce isolation and give their handlers a feeling of independence and confidence.

Since 1982 it has matched 2091 dogs with people and currently there are 873 in service.