A GUIDE dog trapped in an icy lake at Stanton Fitzwarren was saved from freezing to death in a daring rescue by firefighters on Saturday.

The black labrador fell through thin ice at Stanton Park and was stuck perilously for at least 20 minutes with only its head and front paws out of the water.

After fire crews arrived, a specially-trained firefighter slid along the ice on his stomach, grabbed the helpless animal and was pulled back to dry land with it in his arms.

The owner, a partially-sighted Swindon woman, who did not want to be named, is said to be delighted with the rescue but ‘distressed’ about the near-tragedy.

Watch manager Kevin Bridgman, who led the rescue, said: “The owner was over the moon, she couldn’t praise us enough, she couldn’t believe what we did.

“She was so impressed with what we did but she was very distressed about what happened.

“It was a great outcome from our point of view, I think the whole crowd was over the moon, right from control down to us, that it was a successful outcome.

“The message to dog owners is to keep your dog on a lead at all times near icy water.”

The incident happened as temperatures rose slightly above freezing on Saturday, causing ice on the man-made lake to thaw.

The owner called Stratton St Margaret fire station at 11.35am and a pumping appliance with six firefighters was immediately dispatched.

When the officers arrived, just 12 minutes later, they saw the dog stuck about 10 metres from the lakeside, with its front paws on the ice and its body under the water.

Watch manager Bridgman said: “The dog was very calm, it was not flapping, just looking towards us as much as to say ‘Come and get me out’.

“The owner was there, obviously a bit distressed.”

The firefighters started preparing for the rescue and an off-road vehicle, equipped for water and animal rescue, arrived with five more officers.

Firefighter Steve Owen, who is specially trained in water and animal rescue, went out to save the animal as a small crowd gathered.

Wearing a drysuit and attached to the bank with lines, he slid out flat on his stomach, helped the dog back onto the ice and was then pulled back in with the animal in his arms.

The dog, which was cold but uninjured, was wrapped in a thermal blanket and taken in the off-road vehicle back to the owner’s car.