Waterloo Lake

Roundhay Park, Leeds UK.

I was on my way to run a workshop on the clinical education course and it was such a lovely, dreamy autumn morning that the park beckoned and I wandered by the lake for a while.

As I got so far round, I met a guy (Gav) who was looking very concerned out towards the middle of the lake where I could see his dog (Falcor) paddling along in the very deep part. I should point out, all proceedings being watched very bemusedly by Gav's other dog, Merlot [extras].

Falcor had dived in about a mile back and had been swimming for a good while. Gav was worried that he was tiring and he seemed to have become disorientated. We shouted, whistled and eventually Falcor seemed to realise he needed to change direction and head for where we were by the shore.

When he got there, the side was too high and the water too deep for him to jump out. At first Gav had difficulty grasping him and at one point he seemed like he'd swim off again, even though he was obviously very cold.

I put my camera down in order to assist (yes, blipsters, that serious...), but by then Gav had got a good hold and hauled him out. As we walked back to our respective cars, we chatted, and believe it or not, Falcor was still trying to chase into the woods again!

Happy ending, with Falcor rather narrowly escaping his own Waterloo...

Postscript: Been in touch with Gav with the pictures and Falcor did the same thing again in Gledhow Valley woods! At least it's mainly black mud there, not a great big deep lake...