Published on 11 September 2018
King of the waves Joe Kinghorn proved himself a super student when he helped save a struggling dog from the sea.
The 23-year-old University of Sunderland Pharmacy student had seen the animal from the window of his home close to Roker Beach at the weekend.
Joe, who is about to start his third year at the University, could see the dog was in distress as it fought to keep itself afloat about 30 meters out to sea.
Joe, currently on a two-week placement at South Tyneside District Hospital, said: “Joe, currently on placement at South Tyneside The dog was starting to get really stressed and was just swimming around in circles.”
Surfer Joe wasted no time in grabbing his board and running down to the beach and into the water.
He said: “Normally dogs are quite scared of surfers because they don’t know what they are,” said Joe, who is a pharmacy student at Sunderland University.
“I went around the back of the dog and made it swim in the right direction to make it back to the owners who were on the shore.
“They shouted so say thank you and said the dog had got scared and ran into the water.”
Joe said: “I didn’t really do too much, I just helped the dog get to shore and I’d hope someone would do the same for a dog that I have.”
Originally from South Shields, Joe, who lives in between the piers at Roker, said he was pleased to see the dog, thought to be a cocker spaniel, seemed fine and was happily reunited with its owners.