Norman Milne used his training after family dog Goldie was rescued from a burn in Banff.
A St Andrew’s First Aid volunteer is celebrating International Dog Day with his beloved dog after saving her life using his first aid skills.
Norman Milne’s recent family holiday took a dramatic turn when he had to put his skills into practice after Goldie, his 14-year-old Golden Labrador, fell into a fast flowing burn and nearly drowned.
Norman, 51, his wife Wilma and their family were on a caravan holiday in Banff when Goldie fell into the water and got swept away by the current. After several rescue attempts, Norman’s nephew eventually managed to pull her out but Goldie was limp from fatigue and very cold.
The family took Goldie into their caravan and wrapped her up in towels and duvets to warm her up. It was then that they realised she had stopped breating.
Remembering his training, a distraught Norman closed the dog’s mouth tightly with one hand and with his other hand made a funnel before blowing hard into her nose five times. He then started chest compressions with Goldie lying on her right side.
Following a couple more breaths and compressions, Norman noticed a flicker of response. He had to repeat the procedure three more times before Goldie fully responded.
Norman, who lives in Ayrshire, said: “We are all so grateful that Goldie is back home and recovering from her ordeal, it was certainly an unexpected turn for our family trip away.
“Incidents like this just go to show how important it is to be first aid trained and how adaptable the skills are in different situations. Knowing exactly what you should do in the case of an emergency, which can happen at any time, can really be the difference between life and death.”
Stuart Callison, chief executive of St Andrew’s First Aid, added: “We are all extremely touched by Norman and Goldie’s story and glad that Norman’s skills as an expert first aid volunteer enabled him to save the life of his beloved pet.”
St Andrew’s First Aid offers pet piece of mind with their dedicated animal first aid kit, which is available on their website.
