See more Daily Mail on Google - save us as a Preferred SourceBy ROBERT FOLKER, NEWS REPORTER Published: 14:35 BST, 20 May 2026 | Updated: 15:04 BST, 20 May 2026
This is the moment a stranded pet Labrador is rescued after she fell off a cliff and was left struggling in choppy waters below.The black Labrador, called Bailey, plunged 60ft off a coastal path into the sea in Ilfracombe, Devon, when she slipped her collar after being spooked by another dog along the clifftop.Her owner, Chris Carter, raised the alarm as Bailey climbed out of the water onto the rocks, but she was unable to move due to the waves.Coastguards first tried to reach her from the top, but the hazardous terrain made their initial approach impossible. A crew from RNLI Ilfracombe then used their inshore lifeboat to move as close to the rocks as possible before lifeboatman Richard Woolmer got into the water and swam towards Bailey.He carefully picked up the frightened dog, securing her to him and swam with her through the stormy sea before they were both lifted into the boat.Bystanders at the top of the cliff cheered as Bailey was reunited with her relieved owners following the scare last Friday afternoon. Hero lifeboatman Mr Woolmer, a 51-year-old self-employed builder, said he stepped forward to get the stranded dog as he has two Labradors of his own. The black Labrador, called Bailey, plunged 60ft off a coastal path into the sea in Ilfracombe, Devon, when she slipped her collar after being spooked by another dog A crew from RNLI Ilfracombe used their inshore lifeboat to move as close to the rocks as possible before lifeboatman Richard Woolmer got into the water and swam towards Bailey and bring her back to the back Bystanders at the top of the cliff cheered as Bailey was reunited with her relieved owners following the scare last Friday afternoon. Pictured: Bailey safe and sound on the lifeboatHe said: 'I couldn't see the dog initially because the cliff was cut away at the bottom quite a bit but then I heard her bark.'I've got two Labradors so I'm good with dogs and I said "I'll go get her".'The sea was very rough and there were a lot of rocks so it took an element of judgement.'But I enjoy sea swimming and have full confidence in the crew otherwise I wouldn't have put myself at risk.'I've played a lot of rugby so I enjoy the physical side of things.'There was a big "V" between rocks so I used that as a channel to reach the rocks and clambered up them to get the dog.'We quickly made friends and I then called over to the crew to say "we're coming".'Thankfully the dog had a harness so I was able to guide her back to the boat.'After the rescue mission, Bailey was taken to a local restaurant and given some toast to help her get over her ordeal.The owners later sent a message to the lifeboat crew expressing their thanks, saying: ‘We can't thank you enough for saving our beloved dog. 'She's fine – subdued and exhausted but not so much that she couldn't manage some toast in a restaurant.’ An RNLI spokesperson said: 'The lifeboat got as close as was possible to the rocks where the dog was standing and one of the three crew members got in the water to swim the rest of the way while the other two kept the boat off the rocks.'The dog's owners were watching nervously from above.'The crew member was able to climb up to reach the dog and grab her.'He then swam back to the boat carrying the dog with him and both were hauled onto the lifeboat and made the short journey back to the lifeboat station where the dog could then be reunited with her family.'RNLI Helm, Stuart Carpenter, said: ‘The RNLI is the charity that saves lives at sea. 'We’ll always launch to animals in difficulty if it means the owners avoid putting themselves in danger.‘Our advice is, if you see someone else or your pet in difficulty, don’t put yourself in danger by attempting a rescue. Instead, call 999 and ask for the Coastguard.‘We were pleased on this occasion to be able to successfully reunite this dog with its owner’.
