A FIREFIGHTER is being hailed as a hero after he saved the life of a ‘dead’ dog.

Gareth Hutchings and colleagues were called to Watertower Way, in Limes Park, Basingstoke, after neighbours saw smoke billowing from a window shortly after 10.30am on January 9.

Ross Harvey and his partner Amanda Schofield were both out at work, but their beloved dog, Jax, was trapped inside.

Ross, 30, said: “I work at the hospital so I was able to get home quickly. As soon as I got there I realised Jax was inside. I just screamed – ‘Save my dog!’”

Fire crew manager Graham Thomas said his team broke windows to create entry and exit points for the smoke, before pumping air through the house to reduce the amount of smoke.

Two firefighters, wearing specialist breathing apparatus, then went inside where they found the 19-month-old yellow Labrador, who appeared lifeless, on the first floor.

They brought him out, and firefighter Gareth Hutchings began using specialist equipment to try and resuscitate Jax.

Gareth, 27, said: “I was waiting outside when Jax was pulled out. Ross was absolutely distraught – it was not nice to see.

“We have specialist equipment, usually used on humans, where oxygen from a cylinder is pumped into a mask. It’s better than mouth-to-mouth, as it’s oxygen, rather than carbon dioxide, which is being pumped into the lungs.

“I wasn’t very hopeful when I first saw Jax. He wasn’t breathing and I wasn’t sure that he was going to make it. He just kept making little coughing noises.

“But I knew I had to keep going. It was about 20 minutes until he began breathing independently. When I saw him take that first breath, it was pretty awesome.”

Gareth, who has been a firefighter for eight years, and has been based at Basingstoke for three years, said: “I have used the equipment once before, on a human when I was working in Andover. But you don’t ever expect to use it on an animal.

“With a person, the ambulance crews will arrive and take over, but with an animal you know that no other help will be coming. I knew I had to keep on going.”

Gareth, who lives in Wiltshire, then travelled with Jax to a local vets, where the dog was treated for smoke inhalation.

He has since made big steps towards recovery and last Friday, Jax was taken back to the station by Ross to say a big thank you to all the firefighters involved in his rescue.

Gareth, a dad-of-one, said: “It was great to see Jax. Jax was jumping around like any other dog, it was great to see him looking really healthy.

“Obviously, it is a horrible thing to have your house damaged like that, but they said that having Jax back and well really put things into perspective. Some things are just a lot more important than belongings.”

Ross said he and Amanda are hugely grateful for the work of the firefighters. He said: “Gareth was absolutely amazing. I know that not many people there thought Jax would pull through. Jax is a member of our family and although this is a horrible time, we are so grateful that Jax is okay.

“He is irreplaceable. He is not totally back to normal yet – he has a cough and has seizures on and off. But he is eating and jumping around. I want to say a huge thank you to all of the firefighters.”

The fire is not being treated as suspicious.