Firefighters Rappel 70 Feet Down Cliff to Save Yellow Lab
A yellow lab named Reese survived a 70-foot fall over a cliff in Nova Scotia, thanks to volunteer firefighters who rappelled down unstable terrain to bring him home. The five-hour rescue operation ended with Reese reunited with his grateful family.
When Reese the yellow lab got too close to the edge at Blomidon Provincial Park and tumbled over a cliff, his owners feared the worst. The 70-foot vertical drop should have been deadly.
But on August 16, the Kings County Rope Rescue Team proved that no dog gets left behind. Volunteer firefighters from four Nova Scotia communities spent five hours navigating treacherous terrain to bring Reese home safely.
The rescue began when Reese's owners hiked down to the beach below the 550-foot embankment, desperately searching for their dog. They sent photos to firefighters, but what they thought was Reese turned out to be a false sighting.
Canning Fire Chief Jeff Skaling and his team launched a drone from the clifftop. Within minutes, they spotted movement: Reese was alive, lifting his head from a brushy ledge that had broken his fall.
The rope rescue team assembled quickly, pulling members from Canning, Port Williams, Kentville, and New Minas fire departments. Two rescuers rappelled down the unstable cliff face, staying connected to safety ropes the entire time because the loose sandstone and talus slopes made detaching too dangerous.
They cut through thick brush to reach the 65-pound lab. Reese had suffered lacerations and an injured leg, but firefighter Ian Doucette found him surprisingly alert considering the circumstances.
The team secured Reese in a harness and carefully raised him back up the cliff. Lowering him to the beach below wasn't safe given the overgrown, crumbling slope.
Sunny's Take
Fire Chief Skaling called Reese's survival "shocking" given the severity of the fall. The brush at the cliff's base likely cushioned his landing enough to save his life.
Twelve firefighters worked in the woods while others managed staging areas. Blomidon Provincial Park staff closed trails and guided rescue teams to the remote location, 2.5 kilometers into the forest.
The moment Reese reached the top, his owners rushed him to Halifax for emergency veterinary care. After five hours of coordinated effort across rough terrain, every firefighter shared the same thought: getting Reese home to his family was what mattered most.
"We are very thankful to everyone who contributed, and we're just happy that Reese got home with his family," Skaling said.
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Based on reporting by Google: rescue saves
This story was written by BrightWire based on verified news reports.
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