The second dog within a week had to be saved after falling over a 120 foot cliff on the Swanage Downs in Dorset, in a five and a half hour nighttime rescue amid challenging weather conditions, involving coastguard teams, the fire and rescue service, and Swanage RNLI.
The Swanage and St Albans coastguards were the first to be called out at about 10 pm on Wednesday 27th May 2026 after a four year old golden retriever called Chester fell over the cliff edge near the telescope on the Downs, and got stuck on a ledge.
The coastguard teams assembled on the Swanage Downs and laid out all the ropes to enable a rescue to take place
Owners frantic with worry
On arrival, one of the coastguards scaled down the cliff on ropes to reach Chester and tried to get him in a specially adapted dog bag which would enable the team to hoist him back to the top of the cliff where his owners were waiting, frantic with worry.
Fortunately the Swanage all weather lifeboat was returning from a callout and was able to sit in Durlston Bay and illuminate the cliff so the rescuers could have better light to see the dog.
However Chester was having none of it and refused to go in the dog bag. The coastguard managed to get him on a lead but then he slipped the collar.
A second coastguard then went down the cliff to help the first coastguard and between them they eventually got him in the dog bag, only for Chester to chew his way out and escape.
The Swanage all weather lifeboat returning from a callout was able to shine a light while the rescuers on the cliff struggled to capture Chester
Chester was happy to be cuddled but wouldn’t go into a special dog bag and even slipped a collar when the coastguard tried to put him on a lead
Fire and rescue teams called in to help
By this time, a lightning storm had started which risked the team having to call off the rescue mission due to safety. So in a push to get Chester back to his owners quickly and safely, the coastguard called in the Swanage firefighters and the specialist fire service rope team from Poole to help, alongside the Kimmeridge coastguard team.
A different strategy was deployed and rather than attempting to lift Chester to the top of the cliff, the multi-agency volunteers, which now included three people on ropes on the cliff face, eventually managed to safely lower Chester in a second dog bag, down the 30 feet to the rocky beach below.
From there the team was able to walk Chester round over the rocks to Durlston Beach and then walk him back round to his relieved owners via the Zig Zag path.
A coastguard volunteer going over the sheer drop of the cliff face to reach Chester
Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service has a specialist rope team based in Poole which was called in as back up as the rescue continued into the night
Tilly the dog survived a 120 foot fall
Earlier in the week on Sunday 24th May 2026 the Swanage and St Albans coastguard were called in to search for a missing dog called Tilly, who had fallen over a cliff on the Swanage Downs, this time closer to Peveril Point.
With the help of a member of the public who was flying a drone, Tilly was spotted walking along the beach at the bottom of the 120 foot drop. Having amazingly escaped without injury she was safely assisted back up the cliff.
The first dog incident of the week was when Tilly fell over a cliff but was fortunately found unharmed
“Please keep dogs on leads near cliffs”
Swanage coastguard station officer Ian Brown said:
“ We’ve had numerous dog incidents this week, not just in Swanage but across Dorset, with the hot weather affecting everyone differently.
“This latest incident was unfortunate but an outstanding example of multi-agency teamwork coming together to safely reunite a much loved family dog with his owners.
“We would like to thank all of our colleagues who worked tirelessly in difficult conditions, the RNLI crew for maintaining scene lighting throughout, Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service for their assistance as crews became fatigued, and of course all coastguard personnel involved for their endurance and professionalism.
“It was a great result and outcome in the end. But please keep dogs on leads near cliffs. It only takes one slip for them to go over the edge.
“In the event of an incident like this, never attempt a rescue yourself. Please call 999 and ask for the coastguard and wait for our assistance.”
An exhausting five and a half hour rescue involving the coastguard, the fire and rescue service, and the Swanage lifeboat crew
