A careless dog called Derek escaped serious injury after plunging 40ft down coastal cliffs on Anglesey. Initially it was feared the hapless Boxer had broken his leg.
He was out with his owner Alison Ditchfield near their home in Cemaes when the “very silly dog took himself over the cliff edge and fell a fair way”. After she climbed down to comfort him, she realised her dog was injured and could not be retrieved without help.
Alerting HM Coastguard to ask for help, two lifeboats and two cliff rescue teams were scrambled on Friday evening, May 1.
On reaching the scene, a Holyhead D-class in-shore lifeboat was guided to the exact spot by cliff teams from Holyhead and Cemaes Bay. Its crew found the stranded pair beneath rocky cliffs at Porth y Pistyll, west of Wylfa Head.
RNLI Holyhead Lifeboat Station said: “They were unable to get back to safety as the dog had sustained an injury in the fall.
“The lifeboat crew managed to get to the water’s edge, and assist the dog and his owner on board the D-class. Get the best island stories from our Anglesey newsletter – sent every Friday
“They were then transferred to Cemaes Bay, where the owner then carried the dog off the boat, and was heading to a vet to have him examined for a suspected broken leg.”
The Holyhead in-shore lifeboat manoeuvres closer to the injured dog(Image: Cemaes Bay Coastguard Search and Rescue)
Alison took Derek to Parc Vetcare, Bangor. X-rays showed the dog’s injuries were not as bad as first feared, and he was able to return home that night.
The lifeboat crew confirmed: “We’ve heard from Derek’s owner, Alison, that he was amazingly lucky and has not broken his leg.
“He has a cut to his face and a leg strain, but hopefully he’ll be OK under the watchful eye of his owners and the local vet, which is great news.”
Thanking Derek’s rescuers, Alison said. “It was a very distressing time and they were all fantastic. It was absolutely amazing response from making the call to them leaving us.”
After dropping off Derek, both lifeboats returned to Holyhead to be washed and refuelled.
Speaking of the rescue, RNLI Holyhead lifeboat operations manager David Owens said: “A rescued pet means a safe, happy and very relieved owner too. We hope Derek the dog recovers well from his ordeal.”
This morning (Sunday, May 3) another dog was reportedly rescued by a lifeboat crew, this time off Conwy Morfa beach.
Onlookers said the black and white Jack Russell had been swept 100 metres out to sea, and was “distressed and barking”.
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