“We are so thankful he is alive and expected to recover,” the pet’s owner said in a statement
A golden retriever named Leo that fell off a cliff in Oregon on New Year’s Day is lucky to be alive thanks to the U.S. Coast Guard.
In a series of posts on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, the Coast Guard said that its aircrew performed a rescue operation on Monday for a pet stranded in Ecola State Park.
“The rescue swimmer was deployed and moved the dog into the hoisting basket. The helicopter landed in a parking lot at 4:15 pm to reunite the dog with its owners,” said the agency, which also shared footage of the operation.
The Coast Guard said at the time of the rescue that the dog’s “current condition” was unknown.
“First responders were setting up to rappel down the cliffside when the #USCG crew arrived,” the Coast Guard said, adding that it worked with other fire departments from Cannon Beach, Nehalem Bay, and Seaside “to ensure a safe rescue.”
The following day, the Coast Guard shared hoist cam footage of Leo’s rescue on X. Additional video captured the rescuer returning Leo to his owners. All three shared a moving hug before parting.
WATCH THE VIDEO BELOW:
#UPDATE #BreakingNews Hoist cam footage of the dog rescue yesterday from Ecola State Park. From the owner: "Leo stayed overnight at an emergency vet. He has a few cuts and bruises. All things considered, he is doing good. We are so thankful he is alive and expected to recover." pic.twitter.com/mnxTBQreUr
— USCGPacificNorthwest (@USCGPacificNW) January 2, 2024
“Leo stayed overnight at an emergency vet,” Leo’s owner said in a statement shared by the Coast Guard. “He has a few cuts and bruises. All things considered, he is doing good. We are so thankful he is alive and expected to recover.”
Cannon Beach Rural Fire Protection District posted about the incident on Facebook, writing: “Cannon Beach personnel were ready to rappel down the cliff side when Coast Guard arrived and was able to retrieve the dog and was reunited with the owner.”
The department also offered a warning to dog owners who visit the coast: “Although the coast is beautiful, it is not perfectly safe. We’d like to remind everyone to keep dogs on leash when hiking unless other wise stated ‘Dogs Allowed Off Leash’ on the state park website.”
According to a GoFundMe established to pay for veterinary expenses, the dog owners were walking Leo and another dog, Remy, when the former ran ahead of them and fell 300 feet below the cliff.
“The Coast Guard from Astoria responded and their expert rescue swimmer descended to the water where Leo lay injured. The swimmer was able to pick Leo up, placed him in the basket, and airlifted him from the beach,” according to the GoFundMe. It added that Leo suffered several injuries including some lacerations, a broken tooth and a broken jaw.
“Leo is the sweetest three-year-old Golden Retriever. He loves to play Chuck-it, go to the dog park, and play fetch. His party trick is to wait patiently with a ball on his nose until Mom or Dad says “okay!” He’s got the best disposition of any dog we’ve known,” according to the fundraiser, which later added: “Please keep Leo in your thoughts as he recovers.”
In another update, the GoFundMe said that Leo was discharged from the animal hospital on Wednesday. “He was very happy to see his Mom and Dad, jumped up to greet them, and of course, gave them doggie kisses,” per the update.
As of Thursday morning, the GoFundMe has raised over $10,000.