Dog walker rescued from icy lake

Mr Maddocks crawled across the ice in an attempt to reach his dog

A man has been rescued after falling through ice into a lake in Doncaster as he rescued his pet dog.

Council workers who were nearby threw a rope to Jonathan Maddocks after he fell into the freezing water at Sandall Park and got stuck in mud on Tuesday.

They pulled the 42-year-old out of the lake and he was taken to hospital with suspected hypothermia. He and springer spaniel Duke are recovering at home.

Mr Maddocks said: "I was in shock. The pain was indescribable."

He had taken his two dogs for a walk when one of them chased a duck across the park on to the frozen lake.

His dog then plunged through the ice and was trapped so Mr Maddocks decided he would have to go in.

Mr Maddocks was treated in hospital for suspected hypothermia

He crawled across the ice and dropped into the water but then found he was also unable to get back.

"Some council staff who were doing work on the trees threw a rope which I managed to get round myself," he recalled.

"I got hold of the dog and they dragged us through the ice and water and then up the bank.

"I couldn't feel my legs, my hands were freezing cold. My left hand's swollen up from punching the ice to try to break it to get to my dog."

Community safety warden Mick Wainwright, who helped deliver first aid to Mr Maddocks, described the rescue efforts of the council workers.

"They had thrown a line of rope to him and they physically dragged him out of the water," he said.

"He was sinking into the mud so it was through their fantastic efforts that they managed to get him out".

The incident has prompted South Yorkshire Police to issue a warning to people not to venture on to the ice.

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