Orcas Island Fire and Rescue received a 911 call of a missing dog over a cliff on the NW shoreline of Orcas Island at about 6 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 27.

Within a few minutes initial responders arrived on scene. The owners explained that the dog was unfamiliar with the property and must have lost his footing. They had searched the beach and cliff side for over an hour and were unable to locate him. It had been close to 45 minutes since they heard him bark.

In less than 10 minutes from arrival, the dog was located by OIFR crews and the Technical Rescue team was dispatched. The dog was a medium sized Husky-mix named Hamilton pinned 10 feet over a cliff with approximately another 35 feet of sheer cliff below him. Due to thick brush growing out the side of the cliff, the dog had not plummeted to the beach but was unable to climb back out.

OIFR’s Technical Rescue team was able to secure a ladder from the top of the cliff and belayed technical rescuer RJ Myers down the cliff-side to recover the dog. Myers secured the dog with rescue webbing and was belayed back to safety. The dog was found to be unharmed and ran to a heartfelt reunion with his owner. The rescue was conducted safely without harm to the patient or rescuers.

“In the end, it took 12 OIFR members and three apparatus to rescue the dog which included a specialized Technical Rescue Team led by Lieutenant Rich Harvey,” said Battalion Chief Bryce Hamilton, who added that it is very rewarding to help a pet in need. “More importantly though, it gives us an opportunity to practice our skills and stay proficiently prepared for future rescues.”

Eighteen OIFR members are part of the Technical Rescue Division under the leadership of Lieutenant Rich Harvey. They respond to an average of 20 rescues per year which includes an array of different technical rescue techniques.