Golden retriever saved in dramatic rescue after cliff fall!
Cannon Beach, Oregon - On New Year's Day, a golden retriever named Leo fell off a 300-foot cliff in Oregon, and the Coast Guard has now shared videos of the dog's dramatic rescue.
According to the US Coast Guard's X post on Tuesday, Leo's owner is grateful and told them that the pup "stayed overnight at an emergency vet."
"He has a few cuts and bruises," the owner shared. "All things considered, he is doing good. We are so thankful he is alive and expected to recover."
According to the GoFundMe page for Leo's veterinary fees, the three-year-old dog was running ahead of his owners in Oregon's Ecola State Park when he fell off a cliff and about 300 feet down.
The pooch's great fall left him injured and stuck between the high cliffs and the Pacific Ocean. Rescuing the golden fell to the Coast Guard because the light was fading, which made it impossible for the local fire department to rappel down the cliffs.
The Coast Guard shared a video of the dog's sweet reunion with his owners on X and extended footage of the dramatic rescue operation.
Rescuing the golden required a helicopter and rescue swimmer!
The Coast Guard deployed a rescue swimmer from a helicopter, as extended rescue footage posted to X shows.
Once the swimmer reached the dog, they got the injured Golden into a hoisting basket. The helicopter pulled them both back to solid ground.
Once the helicopter landed, Leo was returned to his relieved owners, who embraced their pooch's rescuer.
Per Leo's GoFundMe page, the golden has some healing to do, but "staff that have treated Leo are shocked his injuries were not worse, considering the distance he fell."
Overall, this dog was quite lucky!
Cover photo: Bildmontage: Screenshot/X/@USCGPacificNW