Dog rescued by RNLI Ilfracombe

Shortly after 4pm on Friday afternoon, Ilfracombe's volunteer lifeboat crew were paged and asked to assemble at the Lifeboat Station as they might be needed. The Mullacott Coastguard Search and Rescue team were at the back of Capstone where a dog had fallen from the path having been spooked by another dog and slipped her collar. She was stranded on the rocks below, surrounded by rough water. The crew assessed the situation but it was agreed that the safest way to approach the dog was by water.

The lifeboat crew launched the inshore boat and reached the dog within minutes. The boat got as close as was possible to the rocks where the dog was standing and one of the three crew members got in the water to swim the rest of the way while the other two kept the boat off the rocks. The dog's owners were watching nervously from above.

The crew member was able to climb up to reach the dog and grab her. He then swam back to the boat carrying the dog with him and both were hauled onto the lifeboat and made the short journey back to the lifeboat station where the dog could then be reunited with her family.

The owners later sent a message to the RNLI "we can't thank you enough for saving our beloved dog. She's fine - subdued and exhausted but not so much that she couldn't manage some toast in a restaurant".

RNLI Media Contacts

For further information, please contact:

Gudrun Limbrick, Volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer for RNLI South West, [email protected]

Emma Haines, RNLI Regional Communications Manager for South West England, 07786 668847, [email protected]

Amy Caldwell, RNLI Regional Communications Lead for South West England, 07920 818807, [email protected]

RNLI Press Office, 01202 336789, [email protected]

Key facts about the RNLI

The RNLI is the charity that 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 146,700 lives.

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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.