Cliffhanger as coast guard rescues Rosie

MEMBERS of the Doolin Coast Guard executed an unusual rescue on Tuesday when they abseiled down a sea cliff to rescue a puppy trapped on a ledge 65ft above water.
Boxer pup Rosie and her mum, Ruby, had gone missing from the farm of Pat and Margaret Considine at Rehy near the mouth of the River Shannon on Monday. The dogs accompanied a group of people taking part in a farm walk on the land but are thought to have wandered off after picking up the scent of a herd of wild goats.
“Rosie will be one in April. Ruby will be six in March so she would have had more sense than to go chasing the goats but Rosie is just a pup so she wouldn’t have known better. She probably just got the scent and took off. Ruby would have followed the pup rather than the goats, I think,” Margaret told The Clare Champion.
Margaret and Pat searched frantically for the pets on Monday afternoon, with Margaret calling anyone she thought may be on the roads in the area, as well as the gardaí.
On Tuesday, two observant fishermen passing in the estuary spotted young pup Rosie on the ledge and called Margaret’s neighbours.
“Herself and a kid goat were huddled together on a ledge. They phoned our neighbour on whose land the cliff is located. Pat took a walk along the top of the cliff and couldn’t see her but the fishermen directed him and eventually she stepped out from under an overhang and he spotted her. He hung a rope there to mark the spot. He had more sense than to try and climb down to her himself.
“We didn’t really know what to do but I rang the guards. I made enquiries. The fire brigade thought it was quite dangerous. Kilkee Coast Guard needed more equipment. Then I called Clare FM. I explained that I needed someone who could abseil because going down is one thing but trying to get back up with a frightened pup is a different thing. Then Doolin Coast Guard and Kilkee Coast Guard volunteered to do it together,” she explained.
The Doolin team, along with members of Kilkee Coast Guard Unit, set up climbing gear and two climbers went down and recovered the dog using a canine harness.
Young Rosie was a little frightened and cold with a minor injury to her leg but was otherwise well and delighted to be reunited with her owners.
“We have rescued animals before but it is not our preferred type of rescue. It was a preventative rescue really, in case people, friends or neighbours, might have gone out and tried to bring her back in,” explained Mattie Shannon, officer in charge of the Doolin Coast Guard Unit.
Margaret paid tribute to the rescue teams.
“We know Rosie is only a dog. She is precious to us but you couldn’t put anyone’s life in danger to bring her back,” Margaret said.
“I know and appreciate the work Kilkee and Doolin Coast Guard do and 99.9% of the time, unfortunately, their job is dealing with people that find themselves in this position. The professionalism they showed in doing the rescue was unbelievable. Only for them, Rosie would not be sitting inside today. I cannot thank them enough.
“During the rescue the fishermen were passing back again and they waited nearby and assisted from the sea, by radio. They were great at guiding the rescuers and stayed off shore until the dog was safely up. Everyone involved were really brilliant. It was community spirit at its best,” she added.
Despite being delighted to have Rosie back, a cloud still hangs over the Considine family, with beloved Ruby still missing.
“The two dogs belong to our son, Seamus, but they are really part of the family. They are such pets. Ruby has been with us for nearly six years and she was just such a pet. When my husband would be sitting down in the house, she used to climb up on his legs and put her paws up on his shoulders.
“The thought of her being hurt somewhere is awful. I know she is just a pet and you have to accept it if she is dead but the thought that she might be lying hurt somewhere is really awful,” Margaret said.
“Ruby is a red boxer with a white chest. She was not wearing a collar but she is chipped and anyone who sees her, please contact us on 065 908077,” she urged.