A 10-year-old sprocker spaniel named Ebb, vanished into barriers near Suffolk Sudbury,
last April 30. There was no sign of sight or sound of the much-loved pet, despite searching and calling the dog each and every day.
The family was really relieved after he was found out and rescued by Michael Cromwell while draining up to her chest in the water last May 3.
“My father-in-law had taken his dog [Ebb] out for its early walk and she ran off, probably
chasing something,” Mr. Cromwell spoke. “We weren’t too worried at first as she knows the area really well, and it’s always been very safe.
“However, the family became more concerned when she had not answered their calls and failed to return several hours later.
Posts were put all together on different local social media pages and several neighbors
who knew Ebb well, rallied and joined the search – but there was no indication of the dog.
“My father-in-law had just about given up hope by this time, and by Tuesday, I felt the
same way,” said Mr. Cromwell. “We thought we’d have one last sweep of the perimeter of the field and suddenly my wife started shouting that she had found Ebb.”
Mr. Cromwell said that Ebb was at the bottom of the stagnant water draining up to her
chest and it was about five feet deep.
“She must have been sat upright all that time, as she couldn’t lie down or she would have
drowned,” Mr. Cromwell said.
Mr. Cromwell managed to get the shaky pet out of the water. “She couldn’t stand at all and we rushed her to the vet,” he added.
After an overnight stay, the vet announced that Ebb was just tired and exhausted, then she
was permitted to come back home.
After several days, she was back to her normal self, having eaten a lot and slept accordingly, said Mr. Cromwell. He was hesitant about Ebb not responding to everyone saying and calling out her name while trying to search and find her.
“She never barks very much, and I think it just didn’t compute that she should do that to
get our attention,” Mr. Cromwell added. “She probably heard us and just thought, ‘Oh good, they’re coming’ but it took days for us to find her.”
