Man dies trying to rescue dog from icy River Lune

A man has died after jumping into an icy river in Lancashire in an attempt to save his pet springer spaniel.

The 49-year-old man plunged into the River Lune at Halton but got into difficulties himself and died in hospital after being rescued.

Coastguard rescue teams, an RAF rescue helicopter, an inshore lifeboat and hovercraft and fire service water rescue experts were all called out.

Liverpool Coastguards urged people to call in experts to rescue animals.

A member of the public raised the alarm at about 1410 GMT, reporting that the man was in the water near the weir of the river in Halton.

The man, who was from Halton, was recovered by the rescue teams at about 1500 GMT and taken to Lancaster Hospital but was pronounced dead there later.

The dog survived and is being looked after by the man's family.

Paul Parkes, Coastguard watch manager, said: "This is a tragic incident where a dog owner has entered the water to try and rescue his pet and sadly has not survived.

"We understand that, for many people, a dog can be like a member of the family but we would advise that people dial 999 and call the coastguard if your pet gets into difficulty on the coast as we can send teams with specialist training and equipment to perform a rescue."