A 71-year-old widower owes his life to his faithful black Labrador after the dog raised the alarm when he suffered a cardiac arrest on a deserted Dorset beach precisely twelve months ago.
David Howarth had been swimming at Sandbanks beach in Poole when he collapsed, with no other people nearby apart from his five-year-old dog, Beau.
The Labrador began racing across the sand while barking loudly, attracting the attention of Claire Dashwood, a 65-year-old healthcare assistant who was strolling with her partner approximately 100 metres away.
Ms Dashwood initially believed Beau was simply playing, but upon spotting Howarth lying on his back, she recognised the severity of the situation.
“He was dead, purple and freezing cold. I checked his pulse and his airway but there was nothing,” she said.
The Bournemouth healthcare assistant immediately contacted emergency services while two doctors from Bournemouth Hospital, who happened to be on the beach, commenced CPR until paramedics reached the scene.
“I was aware of lots of people around us saying, ‘he’s dead, he’s gone’, but I just blocked it all out and kept going,” Ms Dashwood recalled.
Throughout the ordeal, Beau remained calm, licking Ms Dashwood rather than showing aggression, seemingly understanding she was helping his owner.
David Howarth was saved after suffering from a cardiac arrest at Sandbanks beach, Dorset
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Mr Howarth, speaking publicly about the incident for the first time, expressed profound gratitude for his survival.
“I feel I owe Beau my life. I feel like I’ve won the lottery. I have this feeling of euphoria,” he said.
“I feel extremely high-spirited, upbeat, optimistic and incredibly thankful for Beau and the people who went out of their way to save me. I call them my angels.”
Following hospital treatment, doctors fitted a defibrillator near his heart, and he has made a complete recovery.
Ms Dashwood now carries a dog toy whenever she visits the beach, hoping to encounter Beau.
“Beau is my little hero. Every time I see him, he licks my face and I never let a dog lick my face,” she said.
Beau is not the only canine hero to have come to an owner’s rescue during the festive period.
In Ebbw Vale, Wales, a golden retriever named Maple saved 29-year-old Samantha Forrster when she experienced hypoglycaemic shock while her partner Joshua Vaughan, 30, was at work.
The type 1 diabetic lost consciousness at home, but Maple’s persistent barking prompted neighbours to climb over the fence and enter through the back door.
“I just remember the next-door neighbours coming in. I remember them giving me sugar and telling me that Maple had been barking,” Ms Forrster said.
Mr Vaughan believes Maple learned this behaviour through their playful games together.