BUDE Coastguard Rescue Team (CRT) were paged at 10.25am on Wednesday, November 1, and tasked to Rocky Valley, just north of Tintagel, to back up Boscastle CRT following the report of a dog trapped in the water at the bottom of the cove, with the adult male owner having also descended in an attempt to rescue.

With members of Boscastle CRT already on scene and relaying communications as the Bude team arrived, lifejackets were donned before the team, along with further members of Boscastle CRT, commenced down through the valley to the scene of the incident, fully equipped with water rescue equipment, should it be required.

With members of Boscastle CRT having already ascertained that access to the casualty and his dog was extremely treacherous and that a rope rescue should be a last resort, and with sea conditions being very calm, it was decided that the best access would be from the water itself, and the Port Isaac Lifeboat was subsequently tasked by Falmouth Coastguard Operations Centre.

As Bude and Boscastle Coastguard Rescue Teams continued to monitor and reassure the casualty, Port Isaac Lifeboat arrived on scene, and deployed one member of the crew to standby with the casualty, as the boat and the rest of the crew came alongside into a more favourable position from which to get the casualty and his dog on board.

Once the casualty and the dog were safely aboard, the lifeboat left the scene and deposited the casualty and the dog on Castle Beach, just below Tintagel Castle, where his relieved wife and son — who had been escorted there by members of Boscastle Coastguard Rescue Team — were there to greet him.