Man dies after jumping into fast-flowing river to save dog

A 46-year-old man from Newton Abbot has died after attempting to rescue a dog from a fast-flowing river.

Police, along with the fire service and paramedics were called to the River Lemon in Newton Abbot after reports that a man was in the river.

The man jumped into the river to rescue his black labrodor dog who had jumped into the river and been swept away.

A number of 999 calls were made by members of the public, around 11.15am, after the man appeared to have got into difficulty in the fast flowing water near to the Asda store.

The man was then swept away by the water and later spotted some distance downstream by police officers near to the Tucker Maltings site, near Brunel Industrial Estate.

The man as was pulled from the river and taken by air ambulance to Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

The dog is thought to have escaped the water unharmed.