Coast Guard Saves Golden Retriever After Dog Falls from Oregon Cliff: Watch the Family Reunion

A golden retriever named Leo who fell off a cliff in Oregon on New Year’s Day is lucky to be alive thanks to the US Coast Guard.

In a series of posts on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, the Coast Guard said its crew on Monday, conducted an operation to rescue a pet stranded in Ecola State Park.

“A rescue swimmer was deployed and moved the dog into a lifting basket. A helicopter landed in the parking lot at 4:15 p.m. to reunite the dog with its owners,” said the agency, which also shared a video of the operation.

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The Coast Guard said at the time of the rescue that the dog’s “current condition” was unknown.

“First responders were preparing to descend the cliff when the #USCG crew arrived,” the Coast Guard said, adding that it worked with other fire departments from Cannon Beach, Nehalem Bay and Seaside “to ensure a safe rescue.”

USCG Pacific Northwest

The next day, the Coast Guard distributed hoist cam footage of Leo’s rescue on X. An additional video captured the rescuer returning Leo to his owners. All three shared a touching hug before parting.

“Leo spent the night at the vet,” Leo’s owner said in a statement shared by the Coast Guard. “He’s got a few cuts and bruises. All in all, he’s doing well. We’re so thankful he’s alive and we look forward to his recovery.”

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The Cannon Beach Rural Fire Protection District posted about the incident on Facebook, writing, “Cannon Beach personnel were ready to go down the cliff when the Coast Guard arrived and were able to retrieve the dog and reunite it with the owner.”

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The department also issued a warning to dog owners visiting the coast: “Although the coast is beautiful, it is not entirely safe. We would like to remind everyone to keep dogs on a leash while hiking unless otherwise stated ‘Dogs Allowed Off Leash’ on the state park website.”

According to a GoFundMe set up to pay for veterinary expenses, the dog owners were walking Leo and another dog, Remy, when the former ran in front of them and fell 300 feet down a cliff.

“The Coast Guard from Astoria responded and their expert lifeguard swimmer went down to the water where the injured Leo lay. A swimmer was able to pick Leo up, put him in a basket and helicopter him off the beach,” according to the GoFundMe. It added that Leo suffered several injuries, including several lacerations, a broken tooth and a broken jaw.

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“Leo is the cutest three-year-old golden retriever. He likes to play Chuck-it, go to the dog park and play fetch. His party trick is to wait patiently with a ball on his nose until mom or dad says “okay!” He has the best temper of any dog ​​we know,” according to the fundraiser, who later added: “Please keep Leo in your thoughts as he recovers.”

In another update, the GoFundMe said Leo was released from the animal hospital on Wednesday. “He was so happy to see his mom and dad, he jumped up to greet them and of course gave them doggy kisses,” according to the update.

As of Thursday morning, the GoFundMe had raised more than $10,000. PEOPLE has reached out to the GoFundMe organizer for comment.

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Source: HIS Education