RNLI volunteer rescues dog from rocks in Ilfracombe — Ilfracombe Lifeboat Dog Rescue

An RNLI volunteer carried out an ilfracombe lifeboat dog rescue after a dog fell from a path at Capstone, Ilfracombe, onto rocks below at around 4pm on Friday, May 15. The dog was later brought back to lifeboat station and reunited with its owners.

RNLI Ilfracombe said it was tasked shortly after 4pm to a report of a dog stranded on the rocks below the path at the back of Capstone. A coastguard team attended but could not reach the animal safely from land, so the inshore lifeboat was launched to reach it by sea.

Capstone Rescue Response

Footage shared by Paul Craddock showed an RNLI volunteer holding the dog at the base of the cliff. Craddock said it was “very upsetting” to watch and warned, “Keep your dogs on a lead … the dog jumped over the wall,” in a Facebook post about the incident.

Large, choppy waves buffeted the rescue effort. A large wave swept both the volunteer and the dog off the rock after the animal was set down, and the volunteer helped the dog swim towards the inshore lifeboat before it was pulled into the boat.

RNLI Ilfracombe Facebook

RNLI Ilfracombe said, “We were tasked shortly after 4pm this afternoon to a report of a dog which had fallen from the path at the back of Capstone and was stranded on the rocks below.” The station added, “A coastguard team attended but were unable to reach it safely from land. Our volunteer crew launched the inshore lifeboat which was able to reach the dog and get him into the boat.”

The station said, “We brought him back to lifeboat station where he was reunited with his worried owners.” For anyone walking dogs near Capstone, the account leaves one clear instruction from the person who posted the footage: keep them on a lead near the wall and cliff path.