PC Rhodri Jones

Dyfed Powys Police received a report from a member of the public that his two dogs had gone over the edge of the Caban Coch Dam. One dog appeared deceased and was caught on an outcrop halfway down the dam face but the other was alive and badly injured.

The caller’s partner has climbed over and attempted to retrieve the dogs but had fallen down the sluiceway causing significant facial injuries and a probable broken wrist.

She now had hold of the injured dog on the edge of the dam and in danger of falling off the edge which would have been a drop of almost 100ft.

PCs Peter Evans and Rhodri Jones were first on scene saw the female was in a very precarious position and was in danger of falling to her death.

Mountain Rescue was 45 minutes away and the female was only preventing herself from falling by jamming her foot up against a stone sticking out of the slippery dam face, so they knew they had to act fast.

PCs Evans and Jones identified a possible route to the victim and forced entry through a steel door to a room within the dam which contained an area where excess water overflows into before going down the sluiceway.

PC Jones lowered himself down into the overflow area and onto the edge of the sluice, un­supported without any handrails to cling to. Utilising a throw line from this position, PC Jones was able to successfully pull both the victim and her dog to safety.