Stranded dog rescued from icy Wolverhampton canal bank
A dog stranded overnight on a canal bank has been rescued by firefighters after a passerby heard her "whimpers".
The dog, a shar-pei named Coco, escaped on Wednesday evening and crossed the frozen Wyrley and Essington canal in Wolverhampton, fire crews said. She was reported to West Midlands Fire Service by a mechanic on his way to work on Thursday morning. Coco has since been returned to her owner and is in good health, the fire service said. Firefighters said the Canal & River Trust gave them access to one of its boats in order to rescue Coco, who was discovered near Horseley Fields bridge. Kane Howl, 25, a mechanic from Wednesfield, reported the dog to the fire service after he heard her cries on his way to work. A stroke of luck meant he was able to quickly identify the owners. He said: "I was on my way to work as usual - thankfully, I didn't have my headphones in - and I heard rustling in a bush and whimpering. When I stopped to look I realised it was a dog. "I sent a message on my family WhatsApp group with a picture of the dog on the ledge and my girlfriend's little sister said she recognised the dog as belonging to one of her friends, so I contacted the owners that way. "It was my good deed for the day." Coco's owner Emily Gloss, 33, said she had only had the 18-month-old for a week when she ran out out through the front door of her home on York Street in Wolverhampton. Her partner and children had spent more than two hours searching for Coco before it got too dark. "I was so worried about her. The children were devastated," Ms Gloss said. The following morning, she received a message that Coco had been spotted. The fire service had hoped to use a ladder secured to a bridge to try and reach the dog but it proved too dangerous, Ms Gloss explained. Crews then spotted a nearby boat, which had been sent out to break up the ice, and used it to rescue Coco. A spokesman for the Canal & River Trust said: "We're really pleased that Coco is back home safe and sound - hopefully curled up in front of the fire." Follow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, on Twitter, and sign up for local news updates direct to your phone. Related Internet Links West Midlands Fire Service Canal & River Trust