A DOG named after a film character hero had to be rescued from a lake after finding himself in trouble.

Pomeranian Bruce Almighty was at Pennington Flash Country Park in Leigh when he jumped into cold water and swam 20 feet after a squirrel before climbing on an island.

When he got there, he refused to swim back and needed the help of RSPCA officers Steve Wickham and Gina Ratcliff to retrieve him.

Steve said: “When we got there we could see Bruce barking and shivering on this island.

“I got into my wet gear and waded through the water - which was chest-deep on me - towards Bruce, who was barking away.

“Thankfully he managed to stay still long enough for me to put a lead on him and bring him back to safety.

“He was very cold and shivering but we wrapped him up in a blanket and he seemed content his ordeal was over.

“It made us laugh that he was called Bruce Almighty - but of course, he cannot walk on water like Jim Carrey’s character.”

Bruce’s owner Glen Wadeson was walking him.

He added: “Bruce is very good off his lead and stays with us but when he saw this squirrel he went to chase it on to a little island.

“He must have thought the green slime on top of the water was grass.

“Bruce was such a good boy throughout the whole rescue.

“When we got him home we gave him a bath and he started running around.

“We call him ‘The Bullet’ as he runs around a lot.

“He is fine now.”