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Dog dies after Budleigh cliff fall

First of two Saturday RNLI calls

It was a busy Saturday afternoon for Exmouth's lifeboat crews. They were out to two shouts within hours of one another.

The first, around 2.10 pm involved a dog that had fallen off cliffs at Budleigh Salterton, just east of the River Otter mouth. Exmouth RNLI Inshore Lifeboat ‘Peggy D’ launched to help an Exmouth coastguard rescue team. The pet had gone some distance over the cliff face and ended up in the sea. Although it was initially thought the dog had survived, the RNLI was later told it died of its injuries.

Helm Scott Ranft said: “It is vital when walking along cliff tops with dogs to always keep your pet under control on a short lead and stay well away from cliff edges. If your dog does fall down a cliff, do not attempt to retrieve it yourself but call 999 and ask for HM Coastguard."

Following the rescue, the lifeboat returned to Exmouth Lifeboat Station where it was back on service about an hour later. But within eight minutes, in came another emergency call. The all-weather lifeboat Bridie O’Shea handled this one: a request from HM Coastguard to assist the crew of a 10-metre yacht on passage approximately 12 miles out across Lyme Bay which had an engine malfunction. When the crew reached the yacht it became apparent that the mechanical difficulties had been rectified and the vessel was able to make its own way to Brixham harbour without further incident.

The lifeboat then returned to Exmouth where it was back on service a short time later.

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