Rupert the Dog Rescued by St Agnes RNLI Lifeboat

Owners Katie and James watched in horror as Rupert dropped a ball and chased it over the cliff edge on the evening of Wednesday 11 August.

Katie said, “We shouted for him to stop but before we knew it, he went for it and tumbled head over tail down the cliff face. I phoned the Coastguard on 999 whilst James ran down to St Agnes beach. Myself and James were absolutely besides ourselves not sure whether he was alive, and if he was, we were convinced he would have life changing injuries.”

With the volunteer crew paged at 8:33pm, St. Agnes’ D-Class inshore lifeboat was launched and under way by 8:41pm, making a short trip across the bay to the Star Beach area. Rupert was found alive and relatively unharmed and returned to his grateful owners at the lifeboat station.

Volunteer lifeboat helm, Tom Forehead, said, “With a fall of that nature, it’s fair to say we were expecting the worst. We were delighted to find Rupert frightened but OK. He was tucked in the back of the small cave on Star Beach so two of our crew waded over to him and brought him back to the lifeboat.”

Rupert’s owners were delighted to be reunited with their beloved pet, who was later checked by a vet and found to have sustained no serious injuries.

Rupert’s owner James said, “We can never thank the RNLI staff enough for what they did for us and our dog Rupert.”

The RNLI would like to take this opportunity to remind dog owners to keep their dogs on a lead at all times on the cliff paths. If your dog does appear to fall, do not attempt to reach it but call 999 and ask for the Coastguard.

For more advice, visit the RNLI website at https://rnli.org/safety/choose-your-activity/coastal-walking/dog-walking.

St Agnes RNLI would like to thank St Agnes Coastguard Search and Rescue Team who attended, for their support as ever.

was refuelled, rehoused, and ready for service at 9.05pm.

RNLI media contacts

For more information please telephone Tom Knight, RNLI volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer on 07538 418391 or [email protected] or contact the RNLI Press Office on 01202 336789.

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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 over 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 142,200 lives.

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.

Learn more about the RNLI

For more information please visit the RNLI website or Facebook, X, TikTok and YouTube. News releases, videos and photos are available on the News Centre.

Contacting the RNLI - public enquiries

Members of the public may contact the RNLI on 0300 300 9990 (UK) or 1800 991802 (Ireland) or by email.