It was a lucky escape for two-year-old alsatian Rocky.

What started out as a normal walk in fields just off Littlebourne Road, Canterbury, soon turned into a full-scale rescue mission when the 55kg dog fell 15ft down a pit on Saturday night.

Rocky had been chasing a rabbit when the ground beneath him gave way.

The covering to what is thought to be either a sewage tunnel or a drainage hole had rusted away, sending the dog tumbling to the bottom.

His fall was broken by 18in of stagnant water.

The owner then called emergency services to the Polo Farm sport complex.

It was just after 8pm when a crew from Canterbury and one from Faversham arrived.

A risk assement of the incident was carried out and it was decided the expertise of Faversham’s animal rescue unit (ARU) were needed.

Wearing a dry suit, a firefighter was sent down the pit.

Strops, a lifting harness used on animals, were placed on to Rocky and using a special crane he was winched out.

The whole operation took two hours to complete.

Canterbury Hockey Club who own the field, have placed temporary covering over the hole to stop children from falling in and proper repairs are expected to take place this week.

ARU member Kevin Reddiecliffe said: “Rocky was quite well behaved until we tried to get the strops on him, when he became a bit frantic, but we managed to calm him down and lift him out.

“He seemed fine and the owner was happy. The only thing that was a bit off was his smell – we’d all been knee deep in stagnant water so none of us smelt too fresh afterwards.”

Margate fire station manager, Mick Smith who led the operation, said: “You would be suprised how many of these types of call outs we get every year.

“Rocky was ceratinly a big dog but we are well trained in dealing with difficult situations.

“It wasn’t an easy task carrying out the risk assesment. Trying to get our fire crews across the fields and working under ground was also challenging.

“But other than a bit of woofing and a slightly distressed owner, Rocky was able to walk away unharmed.

“If it had of been a smaller dog like a terrier I’m not so sure we would have had the same outcome.”