Warning to keep dogs on lead in cliffside areas after pet falls into sea in Newquay

The dog, called Lara, managed to get out of the water and onto a rock. Credit: Mark Morris/Newquay RNLI

People are being urged to keep their dogs on a lead when walking in cliffside areas after one fell and had to be rescued by the RNLI.

Newquay's RNLI team were called out to the incident at Towan Head, in Newquay, at around 8pm on Thursday 16 November.

They said they launched in "heavy rain" and wind to search around the Gazzle area after the dog, named Lara, had taken a tumble.

"On reaching the Tea Caverns, the crews' search lights picked up Lara’s eyes reflecting," a spokesperson for the RNLI said.

"Once the crew had got closer, they could see that Lara had managed to scramble out of the sea and on to the safety of a rock."

Lara was given plenty of fuss by the RNLI team after her ordeal. Credit: Newquay RNLI/Mark Morgan

The team was able to secure the boat to the rock and get Lara safely onboard and back to shore.

An RNLI spokesperson added: "Newquay’s crew arrived back at the lifeboat station at 8.27pm and were happy to make a fuss of Lara while she awaited collection by her grateful owners."

The RNLI is now reminding people to keep dogs on leads while walking in cliffside areas.

Zoey Cotton, duty launch authority for the RNLI, said: "Lara’s owners did the right thing by calling the coastguard.

"The RNLI recommends you keep your dog on a lead along cliff tops, no matter how well-behaved they normally are.

"If you see someone in difficulty do not attempt to rescue them yourselves, dial 999 and ask for the Coastguard."