First aid volunteer saves dog with CPR after it nearly drowns

A first aid volunteer used his skills to save his “beloved” dog’s life after it nearly drowned in a fast-flowing stream.
Norman Milne, a St Andrews First Aid volunteer, with his dog GoldieNorman Milne, a St Andrews First Aid volunteer, with his dog Goldie
Norman Milne, a St Andrews First Aid volunteer, with his dog Goldie

Norman Milne, a St Andrew’s First Aid volunteer, adapted his CPR skills to treat his pet after it stopped breathing following the accident.

The golden labrador, Goldie, fell into the water and was swept away by the current while Mr Milne and his family were on holiday at a caravan park in Banff.

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Despite being a good swimmer, the dog could not get out of the water because of the steep slippery banks and speed of the flow.

After several rescue attempts his nephew Liam Holder managed to pull Goldie out but it was limp from fatigue and cold.

Mr Milne took the dog back to their caravan where he wrapped it up in towels and duvets and then saw it had stopped breathing.

He closed Goldie’s mouth tightly with one hand and with his other made a funnel, blew hard into its nose five times then started chest compressions with Goldie lying on its right side.

After a couple more breaths and compressions, Mr Milne noticed a flicker of response but had to repeat the procedure a further three times before Goldie fully responded.

Mr Milne, from Dalmellington, 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.”

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Mr Milne shared the story of the incident, which happened in June, to mark International Dog Day today.

Stuart Callison, chief executive of St Andrew’s First Aid, said: “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.”

National Dog Day was 
started in 2004 to raise awareness about dogs in rescue centres.

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