'Amazing' therapy dog called Digby saves life of a suicidal woman on highway bridge

Sophia Ankel
Updated ·2 min read
Digby, the therapy dog
Digby, the therapy dog. Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service

  • A dog called Digby was hailed a hero after saving a woman's life in Devon, England, on Tuesday.

  • Emergency services were persuading the woman to step away from a bridge when she saw the dog.

  • Digby provides emotional support for firefighters who experience challenging incidents on the job.

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An "amazing" three-year-old Australian Labradoodle called Digby was hailed a hero after helping save a woman's life on a highway bridge in Devon, England, on Tuesday, firefighters have said.

Digby, who volunteers for the Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service as a therapy dog, was brought to the scene after emergency services were unable to persuade the woman to step away from the railings of a highway bridge.

"Police negotiators were speaking with the woman but the situation was becoming increasingly worrying," the Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service tweeted on Wednesday.

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"When Digby arrived, the young woman immediately swung her head round to look and smiled. This got a conversation started about Digby and his role at the fire service," the tweet continued.

"She was asked if she would like to come and meet Digby if she came back over the railings, which we are pleased to say she did. We wish the woman involved all the best in her recovery."

Mental health professionals took the woman into care, police confirmed.

Susan Izzard, a spokesperson for Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service, told Insider that Digby provides emotional support for firefighters who experience challenging incidents that can cause post-traumatic stress.

"Digby provides a positive distraction when crews arrive back at the station or in the control room," Izzard said.

"Therapy dogs are simply themselves and people automatically feel at ease and comfortable engaging with a dog that is comfortable being stroked and made a fuss of. This is known to lower blood pressure and heart rate, which in turn helps the defusing process," she added.

Digby has been helping crew members since 2018.

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