Dog who bolted from owner’s car and swept out to sea rescued

Seren got spooked and darted from owner Andrea Phillips' car trunk towards Porthcawl beach in Wales.

The rescued pooch darted over rocks and into the water despite the best efforts of another dog walker.

She called 999 and requested the coastguard, and Porthcawl RNLI launched their Atlantic 85 lifeboat Rose of the Shires.

The lifeboat crew arrived on scene and instantly located Seren near Newton Point around 300 m from the shore. She was exhausted and was being swept further and further out to sea by the tidal current.

Andrea said: "I've rescued many dogs in my time, but Seren is definitely the most traumatized.

"She had just been getting comfortable with her regular beach walks. On Saturday we were planning to go out with her and had carefully placed her in the car trunk when she seemed calm.

"As we clicked the key to close the car trunk we think the noise must have spooked her because she leapt out immediately, running across the dunes and down onto the beach."

"Admittedly I don't always carry my cell phone on me, but I was so grateful it was in my pocket and I could make that 999 call.

"The person on the phone was brilliant at keeping me calm, but I was losing faith as we could no longer see Seren, she'd swum so far out and I feared the worst."

Andrea and her partner Richard had rescued Seren from Many Tears Animal Rescue just five weeks earlier.

In video footage of the incident, on February 1, 2025, after the dog is pulled from the water into the boat, a member of the RNLI says: "Miraculously, we have just come across a Golden Retriever in the water".

Porthcawl RNLI Helm, Chris Missen, said: "Thankfully we spotted Seren as soon as we came around Newton Point and we were able to recover her onboard the lifeboat. She was a little shaken but otherwise unharmed."

Andrea added: "I honestly can't thank the volunteer RNLI crew enough for saving Seren.

"They turned a nightmare into a dream. It was like something out of a movie seeing the crew member in their gear carrying Seren from the lifeboat through the shallows.

"I also want to thank the fellow dog walker Josh, for all his help and quick thinking to make the 999 call to the Coastguard. And to everyone else on the beach that helped us that day.

"I now really understand the importance of having a means of calling for help and if my story can help others I want to get the message out there."

Chris said: "Andrea did the right thing by calling 999 and asking for the Coastguard. We were delighted to be able to rescue Seren and reunite her with Andrea and family. A heart-warming ending for our first rescue of the year.

"When it comes to dogs in the water our safety advice is to never enter the water after your dog, as you could end up in difficulty yourself. Instead dial 999 or 112 and ask for the Coastguard."

After the event, the RNLI issued the following dog safety advice:

• Keep your dog on a leash if close to cliff edges or fast-flowing water
• If they get stuck in mud, don't go in after them. Move to a place of safety and call them – they'll probably get out by themselves
• If you are worried about your dog, call 999 or 112 and ask for the Coastguard