Dog Owner Rescued from Cliff After Attempting Pet’s Retrieval

An individual walking a dog was successfully rescued from a cliff face following an attempt to retrieve their pet. Sunderland Coastguard and the South Shields Volunteer Life Brigade responded to a call at Marsden Grotto, South Shields, on Sunday evening to assist the owner, who had become stranded 4.5m (15ft) below the cliff edge. Both the owner and their dog were subsequently brought to safety through the use of ropes. The coastguard commented that the incident could “easily have ended in a fatality” and issued a caution against individuals placing themselves at risk near cliff edges. A spokesperson for the coastguard stated, “We located the casualty 15 feet down the cliff face holding on.” The spokesperson added, “Both teams worked together to rapidly deploy rope rescue equipment and lower a rope rescue technician to the casualty and recover them to the cliff top.” A rescuer was then lowered to the base of the cliff to retrieve the dog, which had sustained injuries. The rescue operation commenced at approximately 21:45 GMT. The coastguard has since advised individuals to ensure their dogs remain on leads when in proximity to cliffs.