Burnham-On-Sea Coastguards were called to Brean Down on Saturday (New Year’s Eve) after a dog went missing over the cliffs.
Coastguards were called amid safety concerns following a call for help from a family reporting their French Bulldog had run after a goat and been lost to sight.
The Coastguard team searched the cliffs around Brean Down Fort and the surrounding area, but sadly the missing dog was not found and the team stood down around 7pm.
“The owners had been desperately searching and putting themselves in increasing danger along the edges that were becoming slippery due to the constant rain and with light fading we were tasked,” said a coastguard spokesman.
“We met up with the owner who was near Trig Point the highest point of the down and he showed us where he had last seen the dog.”
The coastguard decided to call the RNLI Weston Lifeboat rather than use ropes because the view from a boat covers the whole side of the down and speed was of the essence. As the tide receded lifeboat crew members searched the rocks at the base of the cliffs.
After four hours searching in bad weather and darkness, it was decided to call off the search. Now pet owners are being warned of the dangers of Brean Down.
The coastguard says although there are signs warning people to keep dogs on leads, they don’t want people attacking the owners who are devastated at their loss.
They continued: “The distressed owners safety is the priority to us and we hope that this message serves as a safety warning to anyone walking their dogs on high ground.”
”No matter how well behaved you think your dog is, they all have that inquisitive instinct and on cliffs it can be fatal. Please keep them on leads at all times.”
