A three-year-old beloved pet dog plunged four metres into the sea after slipping from a Scottish harbour wall on Saturday afternoon.
The incident occurred at Seacliff Harbour, a small inlet carved into the rocks near North Berwick, shortly before 2pm on Saturday, February 7.
The dog had been enjoying a coastal walk along Seacliff beach with her owner when she jumped onto the harbour wall and lost her footing.
Her owner immediately descended a nearby ladder in an attempt to reach the stricken animal.
However, the rescue proved treacherous as the cold Firth of Forth water was blanketed in sea foam, with powerful swells surging through the narrow harbour.
A passer-by dialled 999 requesting Coastguard assistance while another bystander entered the water to help.
North Berwick RNLI volunteers scrambled their inshore lifeboat SUNIJO, reaching the scene within eleven minutes of launch.
The crew faced formidable conditions during their approach, battling through breaking waves of 2.5 metres and a three-metre swell.
The crew working in the wet conditions
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RNLI
As they neared the harbour entrance, the situation became even more perilous, with waves building to five metres on the shallow reef and crashing against the rocks.
The volunteer crew quickly determined that any attempt to enter the narrow harbour channel from the sea would be impossible.
With uncertainty about how many people were in the water and the precise location of the Coastguard Rescue Team, the lifeboat helm made the decision to execute a beach landing at Seacliff beach instead.
The crew then proceeded to the harbour on foot.
Crews encountered 5m swells in the vicinity of the entrance to Seacliff Harbour
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RNLI
Upon arrival at the beach, the crew received confirmation that members of North Berwick Coastguard Rescue Team were already at the scene.
The Coastguard officers had managed to pull both human casualties from the water, though one team member was still supporting the dog, who remained submerged.
Given the four-metre drop from the harbour wall to the water level, conventional rescue methods were not feasible.
An animal rescue bag was deployed to hoist the Weimaraner to safety.
The Weimaraner was hoisted to safety
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RNLI
RNLI volunteers carried out casualty care assessments on the two people who had entered the water. Both were cold and shaken but fortunately did not require any further medical treatment.
The grateful owner was soon reunited with her pet, and the pair headed home to warm up.
RNLI Dunbar Lifeboats provided an escort for the inshore lifeboat on its return journey to the station in their all-weather vessel.
Helm Matthew Gibbons reflected on the operation: “Thankfully this rescue had a positive outcome, though the conditions certainly made it a challenge.”
Mr Gibbons continued: “We fully understand the emotions involving dogs, but if you see a dog in difficulty at the coast, we urge you to call 999 and ask for the Coastguard immediately.
“Move to a place the dog can get to safely and call them, they might be able to get out themselves. “
“Don’t try and enter the water to help, all too often that leads to tragedy, await for the arrival of the emergency services.”
He expressed gratitude to members of the public who assisted and remained at the scene until everyone had been recovered safely.
