Cast your mind back to February 2026. Not all that long ago really but it’s funny how things slip our minds. Well, what you might remember is a lot of rain. But one Barrow resident who won’t forget February 2026 in a hurry is Steve Ballard.

On 23 February, Steve went to Gunthorpe in Nottinghamshire for a day’s fishing on the River Trent. The Trent was full and swollen and moving very fast. Whilst setting up, Steve happened to notice a woman and her dog further downstream. Then he noticed the woman throwing a ball… which bounced wildly off a rock, as balls will, and went into the swollen river. Followed by the excited dog. The dog’s owner rushed to the rescue, entering the water and miraculously managed to grab the dog, then realised that she had descended a steep, vertical boating ladder to rescue her pet. How could she retrace her steps and carry the dog to safety? She couldn’t. So, she yelled for help, and Steve went into action.

The ladder was no less steep for him, and getting the dog to safety was horrendously difficult. Eventually he and Snickers reached the bank, quickly followed by the dog’s owner who didn’t say anything at all to Steve. He went back to his fishing.

As the shock left her and the wet clothes were swapped for dry ones, the dog owner (Alexandra) realised how lucky they had been. She wanted to contact the man who had saved her and Snickers.

The next thing Steve heard was an alert put on BBC local radio. “I want to find the man who saved us from drowning” and Steve finally met Alexandra and Snickers.

The story was broadcast on BBC Radio Nottingham and then on national radio on the Jeremy Vine show on Radio 2. He has been nominated for a bravery award and now is in Barrow Voice!

Living on a river, as we do, we all know we can’t be too careful. A bouncing ball and an excited dog can spell the end. For one lucky dog owner and one lucky dog, Steve Ballard was there, on that day, to help them.

Helen Sadler