Stonehaven RNLI called to dog in the water

The crew launched the Inshore Atlantic 75 ‘Miss Betty’ and made speed to the area. A lady had been walking her black Labrador on the cliff top when the dog bolted chasing a rabbit into long grass and went over the cliff. Down below were rocks but miraculously the dog had missed the rocks and landed in a gully in the water, a drop of roughly 95ft! The owner quickly telephoned the coastguard who tasked Stonehaven RNLI along with Aberdeen and Stonehaven Coastguard teams.

The boat quickly arrived on the scene and one of the crew entered the water and clambered onto the rocks to look for the dog. At the top of the cliffs the Coastguard happened to spot a black head. The dog had somehow managed to make it’s way back up the cliffs to where it had fallen from.

The boat was stood down and the crew made their way back to the station to refuel and be made ready for service again. The dog was checked over by the vet and was found to have a broken rib, collapsed lung and a couple of scratches on his leg.

The owner would like to express her gratitude to the crew for everything they did. One very lucky dog.

Key facts about the RNLI

The RNLI charity saves lives at sea. Its volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service around the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland coasts. The RNLI operates 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and more than 240 lifeguard units on beaches around the UK and Channel Islands. The RNLI is independent of Coastguard and government and depends on voluntary donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824, its lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved over 146,000 lives.

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