Dog falls off cliff

Dartmouth Coastguard Rescue Team has rescued a dog that fell off the cliff at Shinglehill Cove.

The team were called to the incident near Little Dartmouth and Combe Point at 11am on Sunday, April 10.

The dog, a Springer Spaniel named Bella, had “run off and fallen over the cliff edge”, but had miraculously not only survived the fall but “appeared to be fit and well on the beach below”.

A spokesperson for Dartmouth Coastguard Rescue Team said: “It was also lucky it was neap tides or the beach would have been covered. Luck was firmly on Bella’s side!”

Since there is no access to Shinglehill Cove without a boat or climbing ropes, the team made the decision that the “safest way to recover the dog was by sea” and requested the help of Dart RNLI. The lifeboat crew attended and took Bella aboard. She was taken back to the lifeboat station where she was reunited with her “grateful” owner.

The spokesperson continued: “This was the second time this year we have been called to a dog over a cliff in our local area. There was a happy outcome but it could have been very different.

“Please, please, please keep your dog on a lead on the coast paths especially near cliffs or high ground!”

𝗥𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿, 𝗶𝗻 𝗮 𝗰𝗼𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆, 𝗯𝗲 𝗶𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵, 𝗮 𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗿 𝗶𝗻 𝗮 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗯𝗼𝘂𝗿, 𝗱𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝟵𝟵𝟵 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝘀𝗸 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗴𝘂𝗮𝗿𝗱.

All photos credit Dartmouth Coastguard Rescue Team