A family dog that fell about 30m from a cliff walk in Co Waterford was rescued shivering on a rock ledge by Dunmore East RNLI.
The female Bichon Frise named Ellie was walking with her owners on the Dunmore East cliff walk half a mile to the east of Portally Cove, when it is believed she jumped to catch a butterfly and fell into the water below.
The family feared the worst, but alerted the emergency services. Seven volunteer crew members aboard the Dunmore East RNLI lifeboat Elizabeth and Ronald were tasked to the scene at the request of the Irish Coast Guard.
The dog was sighted on a ledge at the bottom of the cliff. Two of the volunteer crew launched the lifeboat’s XP boat and made their way to the base of the cliff where one of the crew was able to climb on to the rocks to rescue the dog.
Miraculously, Ellie was uninjured after her ordeal, having climbed up on to the ledge for safety. As crew members approached to rescue her she began wagging her tail. "She was absolutely perfect, with not a scratch. She was cold and shivering, but was happy to see us," said Neville Murphy, Dunmore East RNLI Lifeboat press officer.
The crew gave the dog water and wrapped her in a blanket before bringing her to an emotional reunion with her owners at the lifeboat station at Dunmore East harbour on Thursday afternoon. The sense of relief and joy was palpable as the couple and their two children, who were visiting Dunmore East, welcomed their beloved pet back to safety.