Sheep farmer and dog rescued after going over cliff

Anton McNulty

AN Achill sheep farmer had to be rescued from the bottom of a cliff after he went to retrieve his dog, who had fallen over the cliff while herding sheep.
The incident occurred at approximately 5pm on Friday afternoon, August 24 when the sheep farmer, who was in his 60s, was herding sheep along the Atlantic Drive, near the village of Cloughmore. His dog fell over the 40 metre high cliff and the shepard took it upon himself to climb down, to retrieve his canine companion.
However, there was no way for the man to climb back up the cliff edge, and they found themselves alone in an isolated location. Fortunately the man had contacted the local Coast Guard unit before he decided to climb down to retrieve the dog, and they were able to locate him.
A Coast Guard spokesperson told The Mayo News that the rescued person suffered no injuries.
“The man was in no immediate danger but there was no way he was getting out on his own. He was not getting out without being brought up on a rope or by the helicopter. When we arrived, we set up our climbing team to retrieve the casualty and his dog but the Sligo-based R118 (rescue helicopter) was returning from Shannon and diverted to the scene. When they arrived they were able to winch the man and his dog to safety without much difficulty,” the spokesperson said.
The Coast Guard spokesperson advised people not to try to rescue their pets or animals if they get into difficulty in dangerous areas, as they may end up endangering themselves.
“The man should have waited for us but didn’t and we had to rescue them. We would not normally rescue pets or animals but we are trained and if it stops people endangering themselves, we will do it. We will rescue anyone, no matter how unusual the situation is,” he concluded.