’I can’t express how I feel about the way he saved her.’

Jeanette Griffiths from Peel gave a big sigh of relief on Sunday morning (May 6) after Sam Murphy, a senior coach with Adventurous Experiences, saved her pet dog from drowning and brought her safely back to dry land.

She described a feeling of ’shock’ while helplessly watching her dog Georgia swimming further and further out to sea from Fenella Beach in hot pursuit of a gull.

Jeanette explained: ’We let Georgia off the lead and she just ran straight down and into the sea and swam around the rocks at the back of the castle.

’She then swam across the bay and out to sea after a flying gull.’

Georgia, who has little experience of swimming, was said to be out in the cold sea for at least 25 minutes.

’I was extremely upset,’ Jeanette continued.

’I couldn’t think of anything other than her drowning.

’I just stood shouting her name. There were people on the car park and beach shouting for her.

’My husband John went over to the harbour side and asked a kayaker if he could help.

’They carried the kayak, owned by Adventurous Experiences, across to Fenella Beach and the kayaker paddled out and caught her.

’He had to paddle back one handed whilst holding on to her.

’A huge thank you to the kayaker,’ she added.

Georgia is a cross-bred spaniel aged seven.

Jeanette and husband John adopted Georgia and her brother Alfie three months ago.

’We adopted them from a gentleman who had to give them up due to ill health,’ Jeannette said.

’We set about training them and they responded really well, for example, running between John and I when called.

’Then Georgia started to run away.

’She will have to stay on a lead permanently now, which is a shame as she loves to run and swim.’

However, the couple are hoping to find someone who can help them retrain Georgia.

She said: ’If there is anyone in the Isle of Man who can help us with this recall problem, I would be glad to hear from them.’