A dog had to be rescued by hovercraft after getting cut off by the tide in Leasowe Bay.
UK Coastguard were alerted after the owner tried to wade through a deep gully to rescue the pet shortly before 11am yesterday (Thursday) at the beach, which is popular with dog walkers.
Concerned members of the public had also raised the alarm, which saw Hoylake RNLI hovercraft dispatched to rescue the animal as the tide was flooding in at Leasowe Bay.
Wirral Coastguard Rescue team were also dispatched to the scene and on arrival crew found the dog's owner had made it out of the water, although the dog was still loose on the sandbank.
A spokesperson for Hoylake RNLI said: "The hovercraft crew initially tried to coax the dog on board, but he wouldn’t come to them.
"The owner was then brought on board the hovercraft to try and secure the dog."
As the hovercraft approached the dog from across the gully, the pet entered the water and began to swim towards the vessel, struggling to stay afloat as he turned away and his head started to become submerged.
The spokesperson said: "A Hoylake RNLI crew member then quickly rescued the dog from the water, bringing him safely on board the hovercraft and reuniting him with his owner.
"Both the casualty and dog were flown back ashore and passed to Coastguard officers on scene.
"The hovercraft and crew were then stood down and returned to the lifeboat station."
Hoylake RNLI volunteer hovercraft commander James Whiteley offered some words of advice for dog owners if their pet gets into difficulty at the coast.
He said: "We know it can be distressing if your dog gets into difficulty and we understand that dog owners will want to do everything they can to keep their canine companions safe.’
"But if your dog goes into the water or gets stuck in mud or on a sandbank, the RNLI advises against going in after them.
"Instead, move to a place where they can reach you safely and call them - in most cases dogs will probably get back to you by themselves.
"If you are still concerned about your dog’s safety at the coast, please don’t take any unnecessary risks and always dial 999 for the Coastguard."
