High risk: A man fell through the ice while crawling across the frozen River Stour, eyewitness Paul Wenborne saidStripped down to his underwear in the bitter cold, this man risks his life trying to rescue his dog from a frozen river.
Moments later, as he inched along the ice on his hands and knees, he fell into the water – yet fortunately, both dog and owner clambered out unscathed and continued their walk.
Paul Wenborne, who took the photograph while walking his own dog by the River Stour in Essex yesterday, described the unidentified man's behaviour as a 'foolish act of bravery'.
The man stripped down to his underwear and crawled across a frozen river to rescue his trapped dogMr Wenborne, 52, of Rayleigh, Essex, added: 'I was with two friends and we couldn't believe what we were seeing. He stripped down to his pants and started crawling across the ice.'
But Essex fire service condemned the man's rescue attempt as 'extremely dangerous'.
Assistant divisional officer Stuart McMillan said: 'Even though this ice appears to be strong it can be eggshell thin, and anyone who falls through into the water below could get trapped under the ice and would only be able to survive for minutes in the freezing water.
Icy landscape: A young boy on a sledging trip stops to admire the stunning wall of icicles hanging from a cliff in County Durham 'Dogs will normally make it safely off the ice and back to the shore. The same cannot be said for people.'
The ice remained across much of the country this weekend, with the mercury dipping as low as -15.6C in Holbeach, Lincolnshire.
But as the cold snap draws to a close, be warned – there's a drought hot on the heels of the big freeze. The Environment Agency has warned that this year could see severe water shortages, with hosepipe bans as early as spring.
Icy waters: Surface of Lake Semer reflects the snow covered Pennines, near Hawes.According to the Met Office, temperatures will peak at a relatively mild 9C (48F) today. By Wednesday, it could hit 11C (52F) in the South and 10C (50F) in the North.
But an exceptionally dry 2011, followed by what is shaping up to be the driest winter on record, has left the reservoirs low and rivers parched. Incredibly, several counties are officially in drought already, and experts say that if the heavens don't open soon, the problem will get worse.
While 2011 was Scotland's wettest year on record, parts of England saw very low rainfall. East Anglia had its second driest year and the Midlands its third driest.
Swan lake: Bids take off from a small patch of melted water in the frozen surroundings of Fairburn Ings RSPB Reserve, Castleford.
Winter wonderland: India Garrod, 16, rides her horse Blue across the Lincolnshire Wolds, near Louth
Frosty: Frozen ladybird at Watt Wood Nature Reserve, Lincolnshire, wears jacket of ice as temperatures plunged to -14C
Let it snow: Deer feeding at a snowy Wollaton Park in Nottingham
Euro freeze: People enjoy a cold winter day on the frozen Lake Pfaeffikersee, near Zurich
Horse play: The Skikjoering Grand Prix Credit Suisse race was run on the frozen Lake of St Moritz in Switzerlandsource: dailymail
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