A good Samaritan’s sharp ear led to the rescue of Cliff, a dog who was trapped on a steep rock face at Dreunkrans in Hermanus on Thursday, May 21. 

While on her morning walk along the cliff path, 60-year-old semi-retired photographer Christine Hagen heard barking coming from below. On closer inspection, she discovered the trapped animal perched on a narrow ledge below the path. 

Hagen says she was on the phone with a friend when, amid the sound of crashing waves, she heard barking. 

“It was not a usual bark; it sounded urgent. I told my friend I would call back and followed the barking, which led me off the footpath and down a cliff. I peered over the edge of the cliff and saw the dog,” she says. 

Dog signals distress 

Hagen immediately stepped back and looked around for anyone who might have been searching for a missing dog, but there was no one nearby. 

“When he could not see me, he began barking again. I had to lean over to let him know I was there, and then he stopped barking. I could see his eyes looked like he was pleading for help. I tried to reassure him in a calm voice that I was trying to get help,” she explains. 

Hagen contacted the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) for assistance. 

The rescue 

Edrich Kotze, the NSRI Hermanus station commander, says he lives nearby and went to take a look. 

“The dog was trapped on a sheer cliff face. Our NSRI crew were contacted, and in a joint effort with the Hermanus Animal Welfare Society, they had to negotiate steep and barely accessible terrain to reach the dog. We were able to safely get the dog off the cliff and move it to a safe area,” he says. 

Kotze says Hagen remained on the scene. 

Care and rehabilitation 

The mixed-breed male dog, who has now been given the name Cliff, was not injured. 

He was taken in by the society for care and rehabilitation. 

Takesure Razah, a field worker from the society who assisted in the rescue, says Cliff is doing well. 

“We did a health inspection. He is a bit skinny and has ticks. We are currently treating him for that. He is a playful, friendly dog. Even during the rescue, he was calm and not aggressive.” 

Razah adds that after the rescue was shared on social media, they received a message from someone who may know the dog’s owners. 

“We are waiting for the owners to contact us with proof that Cliff belongs to them.”

Watch: Dog rescued from Hermanus cliff face

Video: Supplied/National Sea Rescue Institute