san francisco — A pet dog fell off a coastal cliff in San Francisco and spent more than 20 minutes clinging to a narrow ledge until firefighters came to rescue him, officials said.
The brown-and-white dog was playing with another dog Tuesday at Fort Funston, a coastal park with steep cliffs that can drop 200 feet to the beach below. The dog, who was unfamiliar with the area, slipped on some plants, lost traction and fell over the cliff, said Rescue Captain Samuel Menchaca of the San Francisco Fire Department.
Firefighters sent a team to recover the dog, which found temporary refuge on a ledge about 40 feet below the top of the cliff. A San Francisco Police drone operator, who happened to be in the area, heard the outgoing emergency call and took an aerial photo of the dog’s location, which he then relayed to firefighters.
Once they knew where the animal was found, a rescuer descended the sandy slope, attached a harness to the 40-pound dog and held him down as they pulled them together.
“He was happy. He knew he was saved. He was wagging his tail. He was giving everyone kisses,” Menchaca said.
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Rescuers collected the dog with its owner.
Menchaca urged people to stay on marked trails, keep their dogs on a leash and their young children close to them.
“You might think it’s just a little barrier or a hill, but it’s a big drop,” he said.
Unfortunately, firefighters have to rescue a lot of people in this area, Menchaca said. He said they’re training for it, and they’ll always be there, but they don’t want people to get hurt.
“One of the best ways to avoid getting hurt on these cliffs and our beautiful coastal parts of San Francisco is to stay on marked trails,” he said.
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