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DOG REFUSES TO LEAVE THE SIDE OF NEAR-DEATH MAN TRAPPED IN MUD

When one false step left Martin Kay literally drowning in ice-cold mud in the English countryside, he quickly found out who his two best friends are. Turns out one of them is a dog.

Holly Blue is a typical Labrador who has never met a tree trunk or a blade of grass that doesn�t smell good. So when Martin took out her leash one recent afternoon, his dog was 0ver-the-moon with expectation of the crisp afternoon air and a landscape of wintery fields. Neither of them had any inkling that this simple walk would soon turn catastrophic.

This day, the two set out along a different route through England�s historic Thornham Parva village. Though it was a very cold day, the skies were clear and there was no reason for concern, or so it seemed.

�I hadn�t walked that route for about two years,� Martin said. �When I came across the mud, I tested the ground at the side and it felt firm, but as I walked into the middle the ground began to sink. I called for help but nobody heard me.�

Minutes turned into hours and Martin simply couldn�t extricate himself from the mud. Holly Blue circled anxiously, but there was nothing the dog could do except to stand guard beside her friend. She never left his side.

�I eventually I drifted off,� Martin said. �I wasn�t optimistic about being found, but I wasn�t panicking � it was too cold for that!�

Fortunately, Martin�s good friend was scheduled to pick him up that day and when Martin didn�t return home, his friend grew concerned enough to call police. Martin was reported missing to police at 7.30 in the evening. Other friends and neighbors had already begun searching for Martin themselves, but they were all focused on his usual route, not realizing that he�d gone in a different direction.

Police used a thermal imaging camera during helicopter sweeps from above. After some time they came across a heat signature that appeared to be the warm body of dog curled up at the edge of the bog. According to police, indeed Holly Blue was found first, and sighting her led them to Martin.

Police Constables Luke Allard and Clare Wayman were the first on the ground. They began getting stuck themselves while trying to extricate Martin, so they covered him with their own jackets to keep him warm while waiting for reinforcements.

Martin was in and out of consciousness as he was taken to West Suffolk Hospital. When he awoke, he was told how Holly Blue had helped save his life.

�It was the first and the last time she had been called into action,� Martin said in an interview with Global News. �She�s a very loyal dog.�

Source: https://www.facebook.com/GreatAnimalRescueChase/photos/a.135..

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