SPRINGER SPANIEL RESCUED AFTER CLIFF FALL



At , Humber Coastguard received a call from the North Yorkshire Police informing them of a Springer Spaniel dog that had fallen over the cliffs at Flamborough Head. Soon afterwards a ‘999’ call was received from a highly distressed lady, who was the owner of the dog.

It was ascertained that not only had the spaniel fallen from a height of 150 – 175 feet, but had then taken a further fall from a ledge, and into the sea.

Coastguard Rescue officers from Bridlington, who were on patrol were sent to the incident, and the RNLI lifeboat from Flamborough was requested to launch.

A further call from the dog’s owner informed the Coastguard that the dog had been sighted and swimming, but had since disappeared from view, and people were now climbing down the cliffs to try and bring about some sort of rescue of the animal.

On arrival at the scene, the owner was so overcome, she required an ambulance. The coastguards on scene managed to spot the dog again, and directed the lifeboat to it. It was then rescued by the crew on the lifeboat, and is apparently no worse for wear after its intense ordeal.

Mike Puplett, Watch Manger, Humber Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre, said:

“Although this appears to be a happy outcome, there are a number of safety issues here.

Dogs should always be kept on leads, especially near to cliff edges, dogs may slip or bound over a cliff edge not anticipating the drop ahead.

Owners or members of the public may risk their lives to rescue the animal, what they should do is immediately contact the Coastguard on ‘999’ for help. We want people to enjoy the coast and this simple measure could save lives.

In the UK last year alone there were 227 coastal accidents involving dogs that required emergency assistance from Coastguards Rescue teams.”

For further details contact:
The Maritime & Coastguard Agency Duty Press Officer
Office hours: 023 8032 9401
Mobile: 07764 624 505
Press releases and further information about the Agency is available on the Web at www.mcga.gov.uk

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