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Hero Dog Missing: Brophy Saved Girl, 3, By Pushing Her Out Into The River Wear

by Christina 123 | September 8, 2008 at 01:08 pm

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Brophy, a long-legged boxer dog, is believed to have saved the life of Leona Baxter, 3, who was sucked into an underground storm tunnel. The family pet had been playing with Leona and her sister, Kiah, 6, when Leona jumped in a puddle and immediately fell into a storm drain that had its lid off. Brophy was also sucked in and dad, Mark Baxter, 34, is convinced that it was Brophy who pushed the girl out of the narrow tunnel. An official said that Leona had been very lucky there had been no gate blocking her exit as the girl was thrown out into the River Wear, in Consett, Durham, where she was spotted by her quick-thinking dad and rescued. At that point the girl had stopped breathing, but by a miracle was revived by her mother waiting on the bank.

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Leona was sucked into an underground tunnel and carried more than 200ft into a raging river on Sunday.

Dad Mark, 34, said yesterday he believes Brophy, a 10-month-old boxer-mastiff cross, forced the toddler out of the tunnel to safety and fell into the river in Chester-le-Street, Co Durham.

Relieved father, Mark Baxter, 34, of Leeming North Yorkshire, tells tonight of how he jumped into a swirling River Wear in Durham, in flood hit NE England as his three year-old daughter Leona Baxter was sucked into a storm drain. The girl was floating face down along the Wear and had stopped breathing. Dad dived in still in his wellington boots after recognising his daughter's coat floating in the river and cried tears of joy as the lifeless girl spluttered and coughed, and started breathing again in an amazing and miraculous rescue, as he stood in the river in his water-filled wellies and handed the girl to her mother on the bank.

Leona had been sucked into the Wear for 150 feet underground after falling into a storm drain whilst playing with her older sister, Kiah, 6.

The father of a little girl sucked 150ft (46m) along an underground drain has told how she had stopped breathing when he pulled her from the River Wear.
Leona Baxter, three, was playing in a puddle when she disappeared. She had been washed into the uncovered drain and was thrown out into the river.
Her father Mark, 34, of Leeming, North Yorkshire, jumped into the water and pulled her to safety.
Police officers said the child "miraculously" avoided serious injury.
Leona's mother Beverley, 32, performed first aid on the youngster who also suffered a cut to her head.
'Coughing and spluttering'
Mr Baxter said when his daughter disappeared from view he realised she had fallen down a storm drain and that if it was going to go anywhere it would go to the river.
"I ran across the river and I saw what I thought was Leona's coat and I realised it was Leona floating face down in the river," he said.
"So I jumped over the side, jumped in, grabbed her and the water went up to my shoulder.
"I put her over my shoulder and patted her back because she wasn't breathing.

Leona is recovering in hospital after her ordeal

"I couldn't move holding Leona as my wellies had filled with water, so I stayed balanced and handed her to Bev who was on a bank.
"As soon as Leona was coughing and spluttering and being sick, I felt much happier because she was breathing then."
Police said Leona travelled about 150ft underground before being swept into the River Wear, near Durham Cricket ground, on Sunday evening.
Leona was playing with her sister Kiah, six, and the family pet dog Brophy in a puddle at a playground in Riverside Park, Chester-le-Street, when the accident happened.
It is believed the storm drain cover, which had been under about 8in (20cm) of water, was pushed off by a sudden release of water pressure.