RNLI crew rescues frightened dog clinging to the underside of a jetty

Fox red Labrador Callie was being taken out for a walk along the coast when she slipped and plummeted three metres into the icy water.

Her petrified owner dialled 999 and a volunteer lifeboat crew from the RNLI were dispatched to the defence wall near the former Cockenzie Power Station in East Lothian, Scotland.

The rescue team carefully manoeuvred their vessel below the breakwater to reach the terrified dog, who was balancing on a small patch of rock attached to the jetty.

They managed to grab her collar and pull her to safety onboard their Atlantic 85 lifeboat, where she was given some well-earned fuss by the volunteers.

Despite her fall, Callie had only suffered an injured paw and was promptly reunited with her worried owner at Cockenzie Harbour.

Kinghorn RNLI lifeboat volunteer, Neil Chalmers, said: 'We were so pleased to reunite Callie with her owners.

'They absolutely did the right thing by calling 999, asking for the Coastguard and not endangering themselves.'

Just two hours before rescuing Callie, Kinghorn lifeboat crew had been called out to another dog that had fallen from the sea wall at Gypsy Brae, Granton.

Fortunately, the pet was retrieved by the local fire service and the lifeboat was stood down.

In 2021, RNLI lifeboats around the UK and Ireland launched 169 times to dogs in difficulty.

The charity has urged dog owners to keep their pets on a lead if walking close to cliff edges or fast-flowing rivers to reduce risk.