Firefighter Ian Doucette, centre, one of the designated rescuers, holds Reese the dog after the yellow lab was saved by members of the Kings County Rope Rescue Team following a fall over a cliff at Blomidon Provincial Park on Aug. 16. They are joined by Lieut. Jason Bennet, right, and other firefighters and rope rescue team members. Photo by CONTRIBUTEDArticle contentA yellow lab named Reese has Kings County volunteer firefighters to thank for his heroic rescue after falling over a cliff at Cape Blomidon.THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY.Subscribe now to access this story and more:Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsSUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES.Subscribe or sign in to your account to continue your reading experience.Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsRegister to unlock more articles.Create an account or sign in to continue your reading experience.Access additional stories every monthShare your thoughts and join the conversation in our commenting communityGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorArticle contentCanning Fire Chief Jeff Skaling said members of the Kings County Rope Rescue Team were called to Blomidon Provincial Park on the afternoon of Aug. 16 about a dog that had gone over the cliff. Reese and his owners were hiking the trail when the dog apparently scooted ahead, got too close to the edge, and fell over.Article contentArticle contentArticle contentSkaling said the embankment in the area where the dog fell is about 550 feet from the look-off point down to the beach below, a combination of sheer drops and talus slopes with loose material and exposed sandstone in places. Reese survived a vertical drop of about 70 feet.Article contentHis owners went down to the beach in an effort to spot him.Article content“The Canning firefighters had the drone out Sunday afternoon, just trying to confirm if we could see the dog,” Skaling said. “The owners thought they had seen it in pictures they took from the beach.”Article content Firefighter Ian Doucette, a designated rescuer, left, and Lieut. Josh DeWolfe, the designated edge manager, prepare to help save Reese the dog after the yellow lab fell over a cliff at Blomidon Provincial Park on Aug. 16. Members of the Kings County Rope Rescue Team were paged to the scene. Photo by CONTRIBUTEDArticle contentHe said the owners sent firefighters a photo that they thought was the dog, and it appeared to be in an area that would have been “a survivable fall.” It turned out that it wasn’t the dog they were seeing.Article contentFirefighters went to the location where the owners thought the dog had fallen over and launched a drone. Within a couple of minutes, they spotted Reese. The dog was moving and raised its head. The rope rescue team, which is made up of firefighters from Canning, Port Williams, Kentville, and New Minas, was then paged to the scene.Article contentArticle contentSkaling said the dog was, surprisingly, relatively unhurt considering the fall. Reese did incur some lacerations and an injured leg. Once the firefighters rescued him and got him back to his owners, they immediately took him to Halifax for emergency veterinary care.Article contentArticle content“We were shocked,” Skaling said about the dog’s relatively uninjured state.Article content“There was some brush at the bottom of that cliff, and we assume that that cushioned his fall enough to prevent him from getting serious injuries.”Article content Canning Fire Chief Jeff Skaling, left, meets firefighter Ian Doucette and Reese the dog at the top of a cliff at Blomidon Provincial Park after the Kings County Rope Rescue Team successfully rescued the yellow lab from about 70 feet below on Aug. 16. Photo by CONTRIBUTEDArticle contentRough, unstable terrainArticle contentThe rough, unstable terrain made it an exceptionally difficult rescue for members of the rope team in terms of accessing the dog. Skaling said two members went down, with the first rescuer repelling over the cliff and making contact with Reese.Article contentA second rescuer was then lowered down. Both members stayed connected to the ropes for the duration of the rescue effort, as detaching would have been unsafe.Article contentThey cut a path through some of the brush to reach the dog and were able to secure him in a harness before raising him back up to the top. Skaling said he estimates that the dog weighed about 65 or 70 pounds.
Kings County Rope Rescue Team saves dog that fell over cliff at Cape Blomidon
