It is hard to relax when you are a firefighter living near the Whanganui River. Wanganui firefighter Charlie Carr woke to the sounds of a distressed dog in the small hours of yesterday morning, and with some gentle encouragement from wife Lee, Mr Carr set off in search of the helplesscanine. "By the sounds the dog was making I thought someone was beating it. So I grabbed a stick, not for the dog but for the person that could have been hurting the dog, and went out in search of it," Mr Carr said. The yelping dog, Eric, was in the Whanganui River and unable to get out. "My wife Lee and I worked out it was on the other side of the river on Somme Pde, so I crossed the Aramoho bridge and down the river bank. "Just as I got near him it took off toward the bridge, and it didn't look in good nick," he said. Then, with no regard to personal safety Mr Carr jumped in after the hapless dog. "It gave me a growl when it got close, but I think he was pretty happy to see me. "I found out later the dog didn't like water, so how it got there is a mystery," he said. Eric's owner was grateful for the quick thinking of Mr and Mrs Carr and rewarded their help with a quiet beer and a chat. Eric can now enjoy life with all four paws on land and a new respect for the river, thanks to the unselfish response of two ordinary citizens.
