A WOMAN was rescued "with seconds to spare" after becoming trapped in mud in the canal at Chalford.

Tracey Dyer was walking along the canal tow path with her dog, a white Boxer called Spud, on Monday afternoon at 3pm when Spud jumped into the canal and got stuck in the reeds.

"I jumped in to save him, not realising there was sinking mud below the water which sucked me under and left me helpless," she said.

"The mud is so deep in places and as you move it causes a vacuum that pulls you under.

"A lady helped me get the dog out, but I got stuck and started sinking.

"She went to get help and when they returned I was face down under water.

"Apparently they got me out but I wasn’t breathing so they had to do CPR until the air ambulance and the paramedics arrived and took over.

"The paramedics said 30 seconds longer and I would have been dead. So scary.

"I don't remember very much about it," she added.

"I am very battered and bruised, and feeling very sore with three fractured ribs from the CPR, but I am alive because of the heroic people that saved me, and of course the air ambulance, who continue to save lives everyday.

"I'm eternally grateful."

A spokesperson for Great Western Air Ambulance Charity said: “Our crew were called just after 3.30pm on Monday to an incident in Chalford involving a person in the canal.

"They responded in the aircraft with two Critical Care Doctors and a Specialist Paramedic on board, attending to the patient on scene before they were taken to hospital in a land ambulance.”

Tracey returned to the canal yesterday.

She said: "I went back to the scene of the crime yesterday with my daughter as I had lost my pandora bracelet which is sentimental to me.

"How innocent the canal looked with what looked like shallow clean water, but as I now know an extremely dangerous stretch of water.

"On the brighter side, low and behold my bracelet was resting in the mud, all charms intact.

"We could see the drag marks where they pulled me out.

"Spud is none the wiser, still chilled, but there will be no more walks near water."