Lifesaver: Dr Christine Smith with her pet dog, Matilda. The German pointer stood completely still by her owner's side

By Chris Brooke
28th August 2009

As a doctor of philosophy Christine Smith is used to having to keep calm to solve complex dilemmas.

But after finding herself trapped and sinking fast in quicksand while out walking her dog on a beach, panic set in and she began to fear the worst. 

The student services officer at the University of Cumbria had no way of getting help as there was no one else around and her mobile phone battery was flat. Fortunately she did have her faithful friend Matilda.

Sensing her owner's desperation, the seven-year-old German wirehaired pointer came to the rescue.

Displaying a piece of quick-thinking reminiscent of the heroics of fictional dog Lassie, Matilda stood like a rock next to Dr Smith who leant on her back to lever herself free and after a 15 minute struggle she managed to get out of the quicksand and crawl to safety.

Dr Smith said yesterday: 'Matilda's my little star. She certainly got a lot of praise and thanks from me when I got out. She was amazing.'

Dr Smith got into difficulty while taking Matilda for a walk on the flat sands at Arnside, Cumbria, on her day off.

The area is notorious for its dangerous quicksands which can snare walkers at low tide, but Mrs Smith doesn't usually walk her dog there.

'It was pretty horrific,' she said. 'My senses were saying 'I don't know how I'm going to get out of this' which was a horrible, horrible feeling. I couldn't get my feet out at all and as I tried to pull one foot out, of course the other sank further in.'

The incident happened at 9am on Tuesday.

Dr Smith, a married mother-of-two from Underbarrow, near Kendal, was walking close to a stream and realised she was sinking rapidly into the sand.

Scene of the accident: Sailboat on sandy beach at Arnside, Cumbria

'I had very short Wellington boots on and they were pretty quickly full of water and sand, which became completely solid, so I was cemented into them.

'Matilda came over. Normally she'll come to you and jump around and then wander off, but I believe she sensed I was in trouble.

'I was sinking further in and was really struggling. I just couldn't get the strength to get out. The pressure on my legs was unbelievable.

'She just stood absolutely still beside me which allowed me to use her back to lever myself out. In my panic, I kept falling back in, so I had to distribute my weight and let one leg go as low as it could.

'Then I leaned my body on Matilda's back and pulled my leg as hard as I could. She was absolutely solid as a rock.'

Eventually the exhausted academic got out.

She said:'I was absolutely exhausted and just crawled on my knees slowly to safety. Matilda was looking after me that day. She is a very loyal dog.'

For centuries there has been a guide appointed by the Duchy of Lancaster to help walkers cross the bay at Arnside at low tide.

The quicksands and racing tides make the walk potentially treacherous. Current official guide Cedric Robinson's advice to anyone who gets stuck in quicksand is to 'lie down and roll over.' Adding:'You might get muddy and wet but at least you'll get out.'

Lassie was created by author Eric Knight in a book published in 1940 titled Lassie Come-Home. It was later turned into an MGM film which spawned a popular long-running TV series.