PORT ANGELES — A dog was rescued from the side of a bluff above Freshwater Bay on Wednesday, the Clallam County Sheriff’s Office said.
The 70-pound Weimaraner named Louie was uninjured, Chief Criminal Deputy Brian King said.
The Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue (SAR) team found the dog about 80 feet below the edge of the bluff off West Bachelor Rock Drive.
Louie was stuck on a ledge about 30 feet from the bottom of the cliff, King said.
“It’s pretty much a near-vertical bluff, but there was just enough footing for the dog to sit on it,” King said.
“He was stuck on the side of that bluff for quite a while.”
Two SAR team members roped up and conducted a high-angle rescue.
“They were able to reach the dog, tether the dog into the harness and lower the dog to the beach below,” King said in a Thursday interview.
“The dog was returned to the owner uninjured.”
The owner of the dog could not be reached for comment Thursday.
Joyce-based Clallam County Fire District 4 was dispatched to the bluff at about 3:20 p.m. The nine-member volunteer SAR team arrived shortly before 7 p.m., King said.
The dog was rescued at about 8:30 p.m.
“We were certainly happy to help and safely return the dog to the owner,” King said. “It’s a feel-good story.”
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Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 56450, or at rollikainen@peninsula dailynews.com.
