A teenage tourist was hailed a “hero” after he saved a dog from drowning in a lake during his holidays.
Connor Telfer, 17, from Dundee, Scotland, was heading on a holiday to The Mumbles, Swansea, in the United Kingdom with his girlfriend and her mother on June 28 when they stopped at Penllergare Valley Woods for a break.
Jane Warner, 50, from Glais, Swansea, had also gone out for a walk in those woods with her dog Titch, a Jack Russell aged 6, and Charlie, a Shih Tzu who had just turned 7.
“It was only the second time I’ve been there as I have only lived in Swansea for two months,” Warner said.
Warner recalled that during the first visit to Penllergare Valley Woods, Charlie had ignored the water. However, on this second visit, he ran straight in and back out and was chasing Titch around.
Warner then noticed that Connor, his girlfriend Grace, and her mother were sitting on a bench. At that time, she joked with them about how Charlie’s former owner, who had passed away two years prior, had told her that Charlie loved swimming, but this was the first time he had done it with her.
“Shortly after, Charlie spotted some ducks,” Warner said. “Without a second thought, he was in again swimming after them.”
Warner recalls that they all laughed seeing the ducks leading Charlie round and round.
“However, our moods suddenly changed when the ducks led Charlie into some reeds and swam away from him,” Warner said. “Charlie was paddling fast but not going anywhere, he was tiring, and his head started to go under.”
Seeing Charlie drowning, Connor kicked off his trainers and plunged into the water to save the pooch, who had gone under at this point.
“Connor then grabbed Charlie but got tangled in the reeds himself so was kicking to untangle himself and paddled with difficulty, going under himself several times until they got back to shore,” Warner said. “He put Charlie down and just collapsed on a nearby stone at the side of the water.”
It was later revealed that Connor had never swum before, which made the rescue all the more “incredible.”
“He said the water was deeper than he thought and he couldn’t put his feet down and really struggled,” Warner said. “As it was freezing cold he was shaking, vomiting, and clearly in shock.”
For Warner, Charlie is her world as she is chronically ill. “He and Titch are a massive lifeline to me on days when I can’t even get out of bed,” Warner said.
Warner was incredibly grateful to see Charlie back on the shore after watching him helplessly as the drama unfolded. She described the entire episode to be “overwhelming.”
In her post, Warner wrote: “This young Scottish lad is my hero!,” adding, “Without this lad and you all clapping and cheering him to keep him fighting then I’d be telling a very different story.”
Warner later took Conner out for a dinner and rewarded him for saving her beloved pet.
