DOG OWNER HEADS OVER CLIFF TO RETRIEVE FAMILY PET


At 3.30 pm this afternoon, a dog (not on a lead) ran over the top off the cliff at Durdle Door, just west of Lulworth Cove.  

Portland Coastguard reported two near-simultaneous 999 calls, one reporting the dog over the cliff, and the other reporting the owner, who had put his own life in danger in a misguided attempt to rescue his dog.  The Coastguard Rescue Helicopter R-106 and Lulworth Coastguard were both sent to the area.  Further 999 calls from the informants reported the owner’s situation and well-being deteriorating.
 
Arriving on scene, the helicopter immediately airlifted the owner off the cliff face and landed him on the cliff path.  The Coastguard Rescue helicopter was the sent to another serious incident and the Coastguard Rescue Officers rescued the dog from the base of the cliff.
 
Bruce Lack, Watch Manager at Portland Coastguard said

“The dog was rushed off to a vet by the Coastguard where he was checked over.  The dog is OK and both he and his owner should survive their ordeal.
We always advise owners to keep their dogs on leads when walking the cliff paths and never to put one’s own life in danger in an attempt to rescue a beloved family pet.”

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