A WOMAN was dramatically dragged from drowning in quicksand by her pet pooch while taking her daily walk.

Roseann Priestley, of Morecambe, owes her life to four-legged friend Jake after he hauled her out of danger when she started to sink in Morecambe Bay on Monday.

Ms Priestley was taking her usual walk along the beach near to the Battery with the four-year-old Labrador cross when her feet got stuck in the sand - and in a matter of minutes she had sank beyond her knees.

"My wellies filled up with sand and so I could not even pull my feet out of them. I continued sinking and the sand was past my knees.

"I was so frightened and I just didn't know how I was going to get out. I tried to pull myself out but it was useless and so I called Jake. He came straight over to me, I got hold of his harness and told him to 'go'. He pulled and pulled until I was out of the sand. He was simply wonderful.

"I got him from Animal Care last year so it's like I rescued him and now he has rescued me," says Ms Priestley.

"Luckily for me he was so strong, otherwise he would not have been able to pull me and I hate to think what might have happened."

Now she is calling for action because she says the next person might not be so 'lucky'.

"I take Jake for a walk twice at day in the same area. On Sunday the sand was fine but on Monday morning it was so different.

"I know the sands shift but never realised it could happen so dramatically. I have lived here for five years but never come across anything like this before - it was very frightening."

She says as a local she knows that Morecambe Bay is a 'dangerous place' and respects that and always has her wits about her - but she says more needs to be done for visitors who may not be so aware.

"I think the council needs to monitor how quickly the sands shift and to warn people about it.

"I'm a local and did not have a clue that it would shift so quickly - and so how are tourists sup-posed to know? Something needs to be done."

She suggests a board on the promenade highlighting areas where the sands have changed. And in the meantime she has changed her walking route.

Ged McAllister, a senior engineer at Lancaster City Council, says there is no way that the shifting sands can be 'physically' monitored.

"We do some research on the changing of the channels and how it affects the costal defences through aeriel pictures but there is no way to physically monitor the shift in sands."

He says the council is looking to put up more safety signs around the Bay.