Dog saved after being stranded on cliff for 11 hours

20 hours ago

Katie WapleSouth of England

News image — A rope technician successfully and safely captured the dog, which was then reunited with its owners

Bridport Fire Station Coastguard rescue teams in orange and yellow overalls standing at the top of a cliff working with a rope technican to rescue a dog. — A rope technician successfully and safely captured the dog, which was then reunited with its owners

A dog has been rescued after being stranded on a cliff for more than 11 hours.

Coastguard teams and firefighters were called after Luna, a cockapoo, was found about 50m (164ft) down Thorncombe Beacon near Bridport in Dorset.

Efforts to rescue her on Thursday evening were scuppered due to fading light and Luna being unwilling to approach the rescuers, but rope technicians were able to winch the animal to safety on Friday morning.

The operation involved about 40 people, including crews from Bridport and Weymouth fire stations, as well as coastguard teams from Beer, Lyme Regis and West Bay.

Bridport Fire Station Coastguard rescue teams in orange and yellow overalls standing at the top of a cliff working together to put in a plan to rescue a cockapoo who had fallen over the cliff. — The rescue took more than 11 hours with over 40 people involved over two days

Two rope rescue teams were deployed over the cliff on either side of the dog, creating a coordinated pincer movement to safely secure the animal.

Luna has since been reunited with her owner.

In a post on Facebook, Bridport Fire Station said: "Thankfully, no obvious injuries were reported by the owner.

"This was an excellent example of multi-agency collaboration, with rescue services working seamlessly together to bring a challenging incident to a successful conclusion."

Coastguard teams have now urged dog owners to keep their pets on leads when walking near the cliff edge.