Wicklow Inshore lifeboat launched to search for missing dog
Wicklow RNLI inshore Lifeboat was launched at 4:40pm this afternoon (Friday 8 March) to search for a missing dog. The alarm was raised by the anxious owner, after her dog named Otis, chased some sea gulls down over the cliff edge at Wicklow Head and was missing.
The lifeboat was on scene eight minutes after launching and the crew began a sweep of caves and the shoreline at a location known as the Pond, near Wicklow Head lighthouse.
The dog could be heard barking from a cave during the search, so crew member John Stapleton was put ashore near the cave and with some persuading, the dog climbed back up the cliff and into the arms of his grateful owner.
The crew on the callout were: (Helm) Graham Fitzgerald, Ian Thompson and John Stapleton.
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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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