The petrified pooch’s situation was ‘very upsetting’
RNLI Ilfracombe rescued a dog which had fallen down a cliff onto rocks at Capstone(Image: RNLI Ilfracombe)
Video footage captured the incredible moment an RNLI volunteer rescued a dog from the sea while getting buffeted about by large, choppy waves.
The animal had fallen from a path at Capstone, Ilfracombe, at around 4pm on Friday (May 15), landing on the rocks below.
A HM Coastguard crew was called out, but was unable to reach the dog by land, so RNLI Ilfracombe was launched to try to reach the pet by sea.
Footage captured at the scene shows an RNLI volunteer with the dog in his arms at the base of the cliff. He set the animal down before both were swept off the rock by a large wave.
The volunteer appeared to try to carry the dog from the rocks and into the water, helping it swim towards the inshore lifeboat, which was waiting a short distance away.
He reached the boat and the dog was safely pulled in, quickly shaking off the water, while the volunteer was aided into the boat by colleague.
Sharing the video footage to Facebook, Paul Craddock said it was “very upsetting” to watch.
“Keep your dogs on a lead … the dog jumped over the wall,” he added.
RNLI Ilfracombe said the dog was soon reunited with his owners.
In a post on Facebook, the lifeboat station said: “We were tasked shortly after 4pm this afternoon to a report of a dog which had fallen from the path at the back of Capstone and was stranded on the rocks below.
“A coastguard team attended but were unable to reach it safely from land. Our volunteer crew launched the inshore lifeboat which was able to reach the dog and get him into the boat.
“We brought him back to lifeboat station where he was reunited with his worried owners.”
