Firefighters rescue dog from West Vancouver cliff ledge

Firefighters rescue dog

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West Vancouver firefighters rescue a black lab from a cliff ledge in Lighthouse Park Jan. 30. | WV Fire & Rescue

A two-year-old black lab that slipped over a cliff edge in Lighthouse Park is safe and sound thanks to some nimble rope work by West Vancouver firefighters.

West Vancouver resident Rob Travers said his wife and son were walking the family dog Gus in the park on Friday afternoon around 4 p.m., when the dog got excited by a sea lion swimming in the water near Juniper Point.

Dog and sea lion proceeded to bark at each other in a verbal stand-off when Gus got too close to the edge of a 40-foot cliff and slipped over it, said Travers.

Luckily for the curious canine, he ended up on a shelf about 20 feet down.

Travers said his son climbed down to a nearby spot to calm the dog. But soon the family realized they couldn’t safely rescue Gus by themselves and put in a call to the fire department.

Crews arrived in about 10 minutes with rescue gear and set up a rope rescue system, anchoring the ropes to nearby trees, said Assistant Chief Jeremy Calder.

“It was very impressive watching them,” said Travers, who arrived at the park at the same time as the fire crews.

While the sea lion lounged nearby, firefighters lowered one member of the crew down to the rock shelf with a rope. There, the firefighter put a special dog harness on Gus and used the rope system to bring the dog back up to safety.

The rescue wrapped up at around 5:30 p.m.

While sea lion versus dog interactions are unusual, Calder said West Van fire crews do conduct a number of dog rescues in the Cypress Falls area each year.

Calder said the family did the right thing in calling for help. When pet owners attempt to rescue their dogs, frequently they end up getting into more trouble themselves, he said.

“Dogs are better swimmers than we are and better climbers,” he added.

The best actions are preventative, he said. “Have your dogs leashed on trails near cliff edges.”

Pet owners should also be careful when river banks and rocks are unstable after heavy rain.

Travers said his family is grateful for the rescue, adding he’s been back to the park with Gus, but made sure to stay away from the cliff edge.