Paddling pooch plucked to safety

A potentially disastrous dog paddle was averted, thanks to the quick thinking of a local paddleboarder.

Jono Bouillir who runs the Surf Trax surf school was about to start a lesson near the Rhyll Jetty last Saturday.

Cheryl West was walking with a friend along the foreshore toward the pier when she heard a dog barking.

“When we got closer to the pier, we could see a dog way out there in the water.”

At the same time, Jono spotted the dog and told his student to wait on the shore.
Grabbing his paddleboard, he jumped in the water.

“The owner was on a paddleboard and the dog was chasing him and barking the whole time,” Jono said.

Jono said the dog had paddled out into the channel and the current was “getting the better of him”.
“I was a bit worried about sharks and there were seagulls dive bombing him.”

By the time Jono arrived on his board, the dog seemed grateful for the rescue.
“He seemed a bit disoriented, so I grabbed him and pulled him up on the board. Fortunately he was pretty friendly … I think he was too tired to bite.”
Jono paddled back to shore with his weary passenger, who was very pleased to be back on solid ground.

“He ran off at first, but then he came back to me. I tied him up near the boats. All the local ladies were fussing over him,” Jono said.

“I went and got some water for the poor thing,” said Cheryl.

“It was quite a rescue. The dog would definitely have drowned.  I was so pleased it was a happy ending, thanks to that young guy that went in.”
Jono has been running surf lessons across the island for many years and said this was not his first rescue.

“It’s not the first dog I’ve rescued. We’re always finding someone (or something) in complications somewhere.”