Warning for owners to keep dog on lead after man falls 200ft in rescue attempt
A dog walker is miraculously still alive even though he fell 200ft from a cliff top in Yorkshire in an attempt to rescue his dog. His dog had plunged off the edge of the cliff moments before.
Emergency service teams are amazed that the man managed to defy almost certain death after he fell the equivalent of 20 storeys at Cloughton Wyke, near Scarborough, trying to rescue his dog after the dog fell from the cliff in high winds.
Humber Coastguards reported that they received a distress call from the man’s wife at around 2.30 pm, reporting that the man had fallen down the cliff while he was attempting to save one of their three dogs.
A search and rescue mission was then put into place that called on the assistance of an RAF helicopter. As the helicopter arrived, his wife was able to direct the helicopter to where the man was lying at the bottom of the cliff. Amazingly the man’s injuries were not found to be life threatening. The man was being treated at Scarborough Hospital after the rescue team made sure he was in a stable condition.
The dog is also being treated at the vets.
However, other dog walkers are being advised not to go to the same lengths in order to save their pets. Humber coastguard’s watch manager, Mike Puplett, said
“Although we understand people are very fond of their pets, we would like to warn them it is extremely dangerous to climb or descend cliffs in an attempt to rescue pets.”
“We have had very high winds in the area, making the cliff edges even more treacherous. The message is clear – always keep dogs on leads when in the vicinity of cliffs.”
