A dog that fell from a cliff top at the Devon coast and became stranded has been rescued by Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) volunteers in rough seas.
The dog was spooked by another dog along the cliff top, during a walk on Friday (15 May), and slipped its collar before falling from the coast path onto the rocks below, which were inaccessible by land.
A shore-based Coastguard Rescue Team attended, and in consultation with Ilfracombe RNLI lifeboat crew volunteers they agreed that, due to the inaccessible location, the most effective rescue option was to launch the charity’s D class inshore lifeboat.
In challenging sea conditions, the volunteer crew manoeuvred the lifeboat as close as possible to the rocks before a crew member carefully entered the water, swimming to rescue the stranded dog, with the owners watching on from above.
After reaching the dog, the RNLI crew member secured it and swam back to the lifeboat with the dog. Both were pulled aboard the lifeboat and taken the short distance to be re-united with a very thankful owner.
RNLI Helm, Stuart Carpenter, said: ‘The RNLI is the charity that saves lives at sea. We’ll always launch to animals in difficulty if it means the owners avoid putting themselves in danger.
‘Our advice is, if you see someone else or your pet in difficulty, don’t put yourself in danger by attempting a rescue. Instead, call 999 and ask for the Coastguard.
‘We were pleased on this occasion to be able to successfully reunite this dog with its owner’.
The owners later sent a message to the lifeboat crew expressing their thanks saying: ‘We can’t thank you enough for saving our beloved dog. She’s fine – subdued and exhausted but not so much that she couldn’t manage some toast in a restaurant.’
For further information on keeping your dog safe on coastal weeks visit: https://rnli.org/safety/choose-your-activity/coastal-walking/dog-walking
