AN AMAZING video shows the moment quick-thinking construction workers used a crane to save a dog from drowning in icy waters.
Andy McLean and Douglas Malloy may also have saved the dog’s owner from death because he had started stripping off ready to jump in.
Andy and Douglas were working at Cockenzie Power Station, East Lothian, when they rushed to the rescue after spotting the distressed dog struggling in the freezing water.
Four-year-old Sasha was out for a walk with owner Steven Woods last week when she jumped over a wall and fell into the Firth of Forth.
When Steven realised his pooch had gone into the water he ran to the rocks below and started shouting to her.
But Sasha had swum under a bridge and into a dead-end, becoming confused and swimming around in circles.
A quick-thinking contruction crew came to the rescue, using their crane to lower Andy, 35, into the water and eventually pluck the dog from the perishing waters.
The video shows Andy in the red metal frame being gently lowered towards the water as Sasha swims around below.
As the basket is creeps closer to the surface, the Alaskan Malamute swims behind the frame and someone can be heard whistling at the dog.
Sasha struggles to climb into the basket as Douglas can be overheard shouting at Andy that’s she is behind him and to “just f****** pull her by the hair!”
After being dragged into the cranes basket the two are lifted to safety with Douglas remarking “it’s not everyday you have to save a life Andy”.
The demolition workers sprung in to action after realising Mr Woods was about to dive in after his dog.
Douglas said: “We don’t really know what happened or how the dog ended up in the water, we think it fell in.
“The owner wanted to go in after the dog and was stripping off but he could have died, the water was freezing.
“Basically then the crane driver told Andy to get in the basket and he was lowered in to the water and to grab the dog.
“The dog was swimming in circles and went around the back of Andy so I was shouting, with a few expletives, at him to grab the dog and he pulled it into the basket.”
“It’s not everyday you have to rescue a dog from the icy cold waters of Cockenzie power station, well done Andy McLean, savior.”
Steven, from Prestonpans, East Lothian, said his clumsy canine had accidentally jumped over a wall and fell in to the Forth.
The 26-year-old said: “She didn’t know there was a drop and water there. She doesn’t like the water much so didn’t choose to go for a swim.
“The way she was swimming I knew she was lost and wouldn’t come out the cove.”
“I didn’t want her getting swept out away from the rocks. When she wouldn’t come out the cove I ran back up to the bridge and at this point the guys working in the power station could hear me shouting for her and they saw her in the water swimming in circles.
“I was getting ready to jump in after her and they shouted to me that they would get her in the crane basket.”
The Brown and Mason employees were in the process of demolishing the remains of the former coal-fired power station when they managed to pull Sasha on to dry land.
Steven, a driving instructor, described it as “pure luck” the team were there with a crane when it happened.
After her rescue, Sasha went on to finish her walk unperturbed from her brush with death.
He added: “A big thanks to the guys at Brown and Mason demolitions. They did a great job.”
