Teddy the cockapoo ‘went berserk’ after machine started with five-year-old Riley Gedge-Duffy stuck inside in Co Down

A family dog has been hailed as a hero for helping to save a young boy trapped in a tumble dryer.

Teddy the cockapoo raised the alarm after the machine started with five-year-old Riley Gedge-Duffy stuck inside.

Riley, who has Down’s syndrome, sustained burns to his arms back and head in the incident at the family home in Bangor, County Down, on Sunday.

His father, Aaron Duffy, said: “My wife was upstairs hoovering at the time and the dog ran upstairs and basically went berserk so she knew something was not right.

“When she went downstairs she saw our older son watching TV and asked ‘where’s Riley?’ The dog was barking like mad and running backwards and forwards to the tumble dryer, but because it was so dark inside she could not see where Riley was.

“They could hear banging and crashing and could see his iPad going round and round. We suspect he was inside for a couple of minutes. She pulled Riley out and started pouring cold water over him. I arrived home about 40 seconds later, stripped him and took him into the shower to cover him in cold water. After that I dialled 999. It doesn’t bear thinking about what might have happened if the dog had not been there.”

Riley was taken to the Ulster hospital in Dundonald. Duffy said he was expected to have a CT scan to check swelling to his head.

“He’s doing very well, apart from the burns and bruising to the head,” he said. “But he is in good enough form and is getting back to his old self.”

A hospital spokeswoman described the boy’s condition as comfortable.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Riley Gedge-Duffy in hospital. Photograph: Aaron Duffy/PA

Duffy, 42, warned other parents of the dangers posed by tumble dryers, and thanked ambulance and medical staff for their swift response.

He said: “You read about these things happening, but this happened in our house and I just want other parents to be aware. We have a bigger than usual tumble dryer because there are six of us in the house and we have lots of laundry. It’s not an old model or anything but by just turning the dial and closing the door, that triggers it to start.

“It angers me, really, when I think about what could have happened. Kids have suffocated and the heat drawing the air could have killed Riley quicker. Only for our dog reacting the way she did, my wife would not have known something was up.”

He said it was the second time in two months that Teddy had warned of danger. “The dog alerted us that an iPhone charger was catching fire. She’s a brilliant dog, it is amazing.”

The Northern Ireland ambulance service described the incident as “horrific” and said crews were on the scene within six minutes.

“Today [Riley] is back to his old self and we will maybe get him a wee visit to the station next week,” the service said.