Lucky

March 7, 2008

A couple told yesterday how their pet labrador plunged over the edge of a 115ft cliff and landed unharmed in the sea below.

The one-year-old, named Dexter, survived the drop without injury and was even able to doggy-paddle to a lifeboat that had been called to rescue him. The dog was with owners Jonathan and Christine Dodd, who were out for a walk at Old Harry Rocks near Swanage, Dorset, on their eighth wedding anniversary. Mr Dodd, 40, said he and his wife were about to put Dexter on a lead when the excited dog saw the sea and jumped off the cliff.

Mr Dodd, who runs his own web hosting business, said: "He must have fancied going for a swim and thought that was the quickest way down.

"I couldn't bring myself to look over the edge as I thought he was a goner. There was no way he could have survived that fall, it was a sheer drop.

"There was a party of schoolchildren standing further along the cliff edge and they gave out a shriek when they saw Dexter go over. But then one of them said he was OK and was swimming towards the shore."

Luckily, Dexter had bounced off the uneven surface of the cliff and the shallow water broke his fall.

But due to the secluded location of the beach the couple could not walk down to fetch him.

Mr Dodd, from Hilton, near Blandford, summoned the emergency services and the Swanage lifeboat crew arrived in a rigid inflatable boat.

Mr Dodd, whose wife is a clinical pharmacist at Salisbury hospital, said: "Dexter normally hates boats but he must have been so relieved to see this one because he doggy-paddled out towards it.

"I met the lifeboat further along the beach and I was amazed because there wasn't a single scratch on him. He is a very white dog but he is a bit pale now after what happened."

Becky Mack, from the Swanage lifeboat, said: "Some dogs are just incredibly lucky and Dexter is one of them."