A dog in Scotland recently got a new lease on life. The 2-year-old collie named Whisp fell from the rocky ledge of a cliff near Heylor on the island of Shetland. The sheer drop in the island’s north mainland meant his owner was powerless to retrieve his beloved pet. At around 11 a.m., the owner contacted the Coast Guard to enlist their help. Rescue teams arrived at the scene shortly after to find the dog stranded on a narrow, rocky platform. However, the near-vertical cliffs and hazardous terrain ruled out any attempt to reach him from the water below. Deciding that rappelling down the cliff was the only way to reach Whisp, the Coast Guard immediately established a rope rescue system at the clifftop. Then, a crew member began the treacherous task of descending the cliff face, carefully navigating the sheer drop to reach the stranded pooch. For three hours, the crew carefully maneuvered the collie from his precarious perch toward the clifftop. By around 2 p.m., the rescue mission was complete. Against all odds, Whisp emerged from the ordeal without injury and was reunited with his relieved owner.
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| Whisp and his owner/The cliff from which the dog fell |
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| Whisp and the Coast Guard rescue team |
