Hastings man swims underwater to rescue dog in flooded flat

Jack Church, 28, came home at around 9am to find the basement flat in South Terrace flooded.

He said: “I had to dive into the water and physically break the door so I could swim through it. All the lights were out due to the flooding so it was black in there.

“I swam through the hallway shouting my dog’s name. Max was nowhere to be found in the lounge then as I turned around he was clinging onto the wall in the kitchen for dear life, struggling to stay afloat.

“I swam to him and put him on my back and swam to the stairs to then get us into the bedroom to dry him and calm him down. A little while later I had to pass him out of my upstairs window to my girlfriend and then climb out myself.”

Jack’s mum, Diane, said he and his dog Max were ‘lucky to be alive’ following their ordeal.

Since Saturday’s flooding, Jack has been rehomed elsewhere in St Leonards by his landlady.

A total of 19 households had to be placed in emergency accommodation after torrential rain hit the town on Saturday morning.

It was the second time the town centre, including South Terrace, flooded this year following a major incident on January 16.

Hastings Borough Council said its staff worked with other agencies including East Sussex Fire and Rescue, town centre staff and UK Power Networks, to respond to the flooding on Saturday morning.

The authority said a rest centre was set up at the Salvation Army hall where 11 households were able to stay until they moved to overnight accommodation.

A spokesperson said: “With further bad weather forecast for Saturday night, a rest centre was set up at the Hastings Centre but this was not needed.”

The council said it is now working on planning for Storm Ciarán with more heavy rain and strong winds forecast for tomorrow (Wednesday, November 1) and Thursday (November 2) this week.

Cllr Paul Barnett, council leader, said: “Saturday was another serious flood in our town centre, the third in a year. My thanks go to East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service who once again showed their commitment, professionalism and leadership. They pumped the water away by 4pm. There were no casualties, but we are supporting those residents who had to vacate flooded properties. I have begun the process of establishing why this happened again and why our water infrastructure is still failing us.”