South Yorkshire Times June 22, 1957

Mexborough Man, 57, in Rescue Bid at Canal Lock

It was a chance in a million, and a hundred to one chance of drowning, but that chance was taken by Mr. Horace Barron (57), of 59, Clayfield Road Mexborough, on Sunday, in order to save his eight-years-old retriever dog “Titch” the only one of its kind in Mexborough.

While Mr. Barron and ” Titch ” were taking their usual walk along the canal bank, ” Titch ” somehow got too near the Mexborough Low Lock sluice and before Mr. Barron could help him out of a possible danger, ” Titch ” was sucked into the 10 foot deep hole by the side of the lock through which the water from the canal runs through a tunnel into the river.

Not Hopeful

“Titch” was lost to sight immediately under the gushing water, but as luck would have it, the lock-keeper, Mr. F. Cocksedge, and his 24-years-old son, Walter, witnessed this mishap and rushed to Mr. Barron’s help.

Mr. Cocksedge immediately stopped the overflow water rushing into the hole by means of a board which is kept on hand should any such accident occur. Neither Mr. Cocksedge nor his son was very hopeful that they would ever see the dog again, they having lost their dog in a similar way before, but Mr. Barron meant to get “Titch” on to land again alive.

Mr. Barron, without any hesitation, asked Mr. Cocksedge for a ladder and immediately stripped ready to descend the 10-foot hole which is only five feet by two feet wide.

A five-foot ladder was the only one Mr. Cocksedge could provide, so they tied it on the end of a rope and lowered It into the hole for Mr. Barron to climb into.

The dog was lying exhausted from fighting against the rush of water. and on reaching it Mr. Barron lined it onto his shoulder and slowly carried him up the ladder.

As he reached the top. Mr, Cocksedge and his son relieved him of the weight and brought “‘Titch” to land where he recovered within a few minutes.              .

Both he and his master had been very lucky, but neither was any the worse for the adventure, and for once in his lifetime “‘Titch” returned home along the canal bank, looking with suspicious aversion at the  water. “‘Fitch” actually belongs to 10 years-old Tommy, Mr Barron’s youngest son who has had the dog since he was two years of age. The dog was a present from his sister now Mrs. Madge Humphreys

Though “Titch” only cost 10 shillings, Mr Baron on Monday told a South Yorkshire Times” reporter “He is my constant companion and is worth more than all the money in the world, to me and my son. Tommy,”

Mr. Barron, who has worked for 17 years at Deal Brown Glass Works, Swinton, as an operator, recently los