Dog and owner rescued from 'perilous' Manx cliffs

A dog and its owner have been rescued after becoming stuck on a "really sludgy" cliff edge on the Isle of Man, the coastguard has confirmed.

Labrador Rum and his owner had to be winched to safety after going over the edge at Bradda Head on Monday.

The pet owner called the emergency services at 13:00 GMT and used a dog whistle to signal where they were.

Port Erin station officer Mark Watterson said the sound was "crucial" to finding them in the "perilous" spot.

The crew of 10 volunteers were called out to the cliff edge about 650ft (200m) north of Milner's Tower in strong winds and heavy rain.

Mr Watterson said: "The first location was very vague so the sound of the whistle stood out above everything else."

The pair were found about 13ft (4m) from the cliff top but they were on a "really sludgy ledge, where they were constantly sliding down, so it was very precarious", he added.

Mr Watterson said a rope rescue was carried out which brought Rum the dog to safety first followed by his owner.

Both were "cold and shaken".

He said: "We understand dogs are part of the family but please leave their rescue to people with the safety equipment to do so safely."

The rescue had been "far too close for our liking", he added.

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