A SNOWY goose chase sparked a rescue operation by the fire service in a park area yesterday.

About a dozen firefighters dashed to work with the RSPCA to rescue a goose, after the bird had become lodged in an island in the middle of Buckley Common lake shortly after 3pm.

The goose had been seen trying to escape from a dog which had chased it across the common and the snow covered lake.

The fire service used specialist equipment to help reach the goose and ensure they did not put themselves in any danger by going across the lake surface.

Paul Whybro, technical manager for the North Wales Fire and Rescue Service, said: “We used our rescue equipment to help bring the goose to safety in a safe and controlled way.

“Inflatable rescue paths were used to assist in our operation and the goose was then handed over to the RSPCA.”

A spokesman for the RSPCA said the goose received only minor injuries from the incident.

An eyewitness to the event was Bernard Millward, 77, who lives in the nearby Park Walk.

He said: “The dog chased the goose on to the lake.

“I would advise people against letting their dogs go on the lake and also against walking across it as it is dangerous.”

Although the incident did not involve any humans charging onto the lake, it prompted Mr Whybro to highlight the dangers that exist about stepping on to such surfaces.

He said: “These conditions are extremely hazardous.

“There are children playing close to the lake and I would urge everyone to take extreme care when walking there.

“Although most people walking across the common would know where the lake is, it is possible somebody might step foot on the lake and misjudge it.

“Every year there are deaths when somebody walks on a lake or river.

“Nobody should walk across the lake, even when it has a lot of snow covering it.”