EXPERT swimmer Alison Mackintosh jumped into the River Trent when she saw a dog struggling in the water.
Miss Mackintosh grabbed the dog by its collar and swam about 300 metres to a mooring, where it was pulled to safety.
The nine-month-old poodle was in the water next to Stoke Lock, Stoke Bardolph, at about 10am yesterday.
Miss Mackintosh, 40, of Prospect Road, Carlton, said: "The two things I love are swimming and dogs.
"As soon as I saw it in the water I thought 'I've got to get in'. I wouldn't recommend anyone go swimming in there, but I knew it was within my capabilities."
Miss Mackintosh, who is an experienced open-water swimmer, had been walking with her father and their five dogs at the time of the rescue.
"We saw the lock keeper running around up and down the side of the bank with his life-jacket on and another in his hand," she said.
"I ran to the lock approach and saw a lady at the bottom of the ladder, and a dog in the water.
"They had managed to get a life ring around the dog, but he was so big there was no way of lifting him out."
After getting into the three-metre deep water, she led the dog out into the Trent. "We hit the current and had to swim against it," she said. "It was slow progress but there was no panic. We got to the jetty and between us we managed to push the dog up and out.
"It was tired but once it had got out it was like nothing had happened."
Miss Mackintosh will be taking part in a 5km swim at today's Big Swim Nottingham event at the National Water Sports Centre.
Other interests include dog grooming and she is in the process of setting up her own mobile grooming business called Oh My Dog!
Miss Mackintosh added: "It was very fortunate that it was me who came along, someone who could do what was needed."
Mr McCabe, 63, of Stoke Bardolph, said he had been trying to help the woman and dog for ten minutes before Miss Mackintosh arrived.
Mr McCabe, who has been a seasonal lock keeper at Stoke Lock for the last two years, said: "It was a very large breed and there was no way we would have been able to drag it 8ft up the ladder and out of the lock approach.
"We've had a couple of dogs fall in before but they were smaller, and we've been able to lift them out with one arm and carry them up the ladder."
"We don't encourage people to jump in the river at any stage for any reason, but what Alison did was the only way we could have saved that dog's life."
The Post contacted the family of the dog. They asked not to be identified, but said they were "extremely grateful to Alison for helping", and "will be making our thanks to her in person."
Have you been involved in a dramatic rescue? E-mail newsdesk@nottinghampostgroup.co.uk.
