A TEENAGE girl swam out to sea to save a rottweiler that was struggling off Preston beach in Weymouth.

Staff at the Café Oasis were asked to alert the Coastguard by the owner whose pet had jumped into the water and made its way out into Weymouth Bay.

The dog was eventually saved by a kayaker but coastguards warned of the dangers of attempting to rescue pets after a bystander who had been at the restaurant decided to swim out and try and save the animal.

The distressed dog owner came to the restaurant for help and a chef made the emergency call to the coastguards.

However, the would-be rescuer swam out to get the dog but returned ashore when she decided she couldn’t save the animal.

The kayaker came to the animal’s rescue and brought it ashore in front of a small crowd on the beach.

Waitress Christine Baturi, 19, was working on Friday and watched the drama unfold at 7pm.

She said: “I was outside serving a group of 15 people when the woman came over and said ‘oh my dog is out there I don’t know what to do’.

“She asked if anyone knew the coastguard number and one of the chefs came out and called them.”

Miss Baturi said at this point a woman decided to rescue the dog.

She said: “One of the customers just decided to jump into the water.

“It was really nice of her and really brave. I’m guessing she was a dog lover but it was too far out for her to rescue.”

Chef Richard Thorington was in the kitchen when the dog owner – on a day trip from Yeovil – came in in tears and pleaded for help.

He said he was talking to the coastguards on the phone when the teenage girl stripped to her underwear and swam out to try and rescue the dog.

Mr Thorington, 19, of Dorchester Road, Weymouth, said: “She took her clothes off and swam out.

“She managed to grab hold of the dog at one point but the waves made her lose her grip and the dog decided to swim further out so the girl swam back in. I was in my chef’s whites but I was ready to go in if she got into trouble.

“The kayaker went to check she was okay getting ashore before he saved the dog by holding it in the water with one hand and rowing with the other.”

Coastguards said when the call was made to them they became concerned for the woman.

Portland Coastguard watch officer Tom Wright said while appreciating of the value of, and the concern for pets, he strongly advises members of the public not to put their own lives at risk in attemping to rescue animals before the arrival of a rescue team.

He said: “In a lot of cases when an owner goes in they get into danger themselves and the animal gets out completely unscathed. That’s happened on numerous occasions.”

Mr Wright said if owners reach their animals in the water it can be dangerous. He said: “Animals can panic when they are going to be rescued so that can be a problem unless you’ve got the right equipment.”