Rescue mission to free dog trapped 20 metres down a cliff near Thames

Friday, 15 December 2017

Rescuers scale a steep cliff to rescue Bear the labrador-mastiff cross.

There were tears of joy and relief when Bear the Labrador-mastiff cross was rescued from a cliff after being lost for three days.

The large dog was discovered trapped on a narrow ledge 20 metres down the cliff near Thames on Friday morning.

Specialist line rescue crews were called in from the Tairua Volunteer Fire Brigade to help retrieve the dog.

Bear the dog gets a pat from his rescuers, Krissy Walton, left, and Tairua firefighter Billy Turner.

Neighbour Krissy Walton scaled the cliff to try and rescue Bear when she first discovered him, but couldn't quite reach him, so she sat with the dog to try and keep him calm as the rescue took place just after 10am.

Walton said she went looking for the dog after hearing a dog barking for several days.

Bear the labrador-Mastiff cross is brought out of the bush.

Tairua firefighter Billy Turner abseiled from the top of the unstable cliff to reach the dog who looked skinny and dehydrated, but pleased to see him.

'He was perched in quite a precarious little spot on the bank,' he said.

Bear the labrador managed to get himself wedged on a cliff.

'He was happy to go, he stood up for me to put the harness on and he was towing me out down the bottom. He was definitely excited to be out.'

It was a basic descent with the added challenge of the dog, he said.

Neighbour Krissy Walton climbed the cliff to wait with the distressed dog, but couldn't quite reach him.

'We had to adapt and use our people harness for the dog, and then just a straight forward descent.'

Bear's owner Karina Pascoe said her family had been searching for the dog for three days. They became really worried about his welfare once he'd been found trapped on the steep cliff.

Firefighter Billy Turner puts a harness on Bear.

Pascoe, who was trying to contact a vet, said Bear had lost a lot of weight and was concerned the dog was dehydrated after several very hot days without water.

'He was a lot bigger than that, three days he's been stuck up there,' she said.

'The kids have been missing him so they're going to be really happy he's home.

'Thanks to everybody who's helped, at the fire service, the rescue from Tairua, the neighbours.'

Six-year-old Bear often roamed their property to catch rabbits but had never been missing until now, she said.

Speaking before the rescue, Aaron Waterreus, Fire Service area manager for the Eastern Waikato, said Bear had been out there for several days.

He'd been out wandering on his property when he's believed to have slipped and become trapped down the cliff on a property off Kauaeranga Valley Rd.

Initial firefighters were unable to reach the pooch.

'It's down a really steep cliff but really difficult to access. We could probably get there and get the dog, but we couldn't do it safely. They'll secure from the top of the cliff and go down and pick the dog up and get the dog to a place where he can walk out.

'It's someone's loved pet and we've go the ability to help so we do.'