One lucky puppy: Dog the size of a small pony survives 150ft cliff plunge after FOUR hour rescue operation



Giant puppy Ted trapped on rocky ledge after plummeting from Cornish cliff during family outing



Horrified owners can only look on from above as Newfoundland clings on for four hours

Ted escapes with grazed nose after cliff rescue workers are painstakingly lowered down to grab him

Owner Lee Barnett hails 'fantastic' rescue after joyous reunion with prized two-year-old pet

A 12-stone dog the size of a small pony is lucky to be alive after plunging down a 150ft cliff and triggering a dramatic four-hour rescue operation.

The giant puppy called Ted would have been dashed to death by rocks on the Cornish coast except a ledge broke his fall.



He was trapped for four hours before a complex operation involving more than a dozen cliff rescue workers hauled him back up the cliffs for a joyful reunion with his owners.

Puppy love: Twelve-stone Ted survived a 150 foot fall off a cliff in Morwenstow, Cornwall, to the relief of owners Lee Barnett and Gemma Richens, and their children Zak, 12, (middle), Xanthe, seven, and Tate, five, (right)



The stubborn two-year-old, who had been refusing to wear his lead during his lunchtime holiday walks with Lee Barnett and his family, had escaped with nothing worse than a bloody nose.

Lee says Ted, a Newfoundland, had been playing up during the week-long holiday near Morwenstow, North Cornwall, by refusing to wear his lead and generally being disobedient.

They had, however, been walking him off the lead without any problems until the penultimate day of their holiday.

Mr Barnett, 41, from Coventry, said: 'We were just out walking the dog. We had done it all the week. He was ten feet away from the path when he decided to go for it.'

The hair salon boss gasped out 'no' and the pet turned to glance briefly back before running on and plunging down the cliffs.

At first, the family feared the worst but as they peered down they saw he had hit a 10ft wide ledge above the rocks. Heavy petting: Fourteen rescue workers were involved in the bid to lift Ted, who was said to be the 'size of a small pony'



Mr Barnett continued: 'The cliffs are 150ft deep. We realised there was no way I was going to get down to Ted.'

Lee’s partner Gemma Richens, 38, ran off to a nearby tea room to raise the alarm.

Children Zak, 12, Xanthe, seven, and Tate, five, were petrified as they waited to see what would happen next.

Lee continued: 'I stayed on the edge talking to Ted. I was hanging over the edge trying to keep him calm while the children stayed on the path.

Cliffhanger: The dotted line shows the path Ted took during his 150 ft tumble before rescuers descended the cliff to collect him



'I kept my balance by hanging onto clumps of Lucky Heather. It was very lucky heather because if it had given way I would have gone over too.

'For the first hour he did not move. He was just yelping. Blood was coming from his mouth.

'By the time the rescue people arrived he was on his feet. All he had was a grazed nose. It was amazing.'

The Hartland Cliff Rescue Team joined crews from Bude and Port Isaac and abseiled down to Ted.

Fourteen men were involved in the rescue, which lasted another three hours. They set up a pulley system to hold the weight of the dog and one rescuer.

They lowered a man on a bag to put Ted in and haul him back to the top. Ted got in the bag then jumped back out again.

Prized pet: Ted and his family pose for a photo during their week-long holiday near Morwenstow, North Cornwall, before his dramatic plunge

'Once he realised they wanted him in the bag he wanted none of it. So they had to lower two guys down using a stronger pulley system,' said Lee.

Finally, Ted was reunited with his owners. 'I think his ego has been bruised at bit. But other than that he just has a scrape on his nose. It is remarkable and bizarre,' he added.

'There was nothing to stop him hurtling over. He ended up on a narrow rocky ledge about ten feet wide. If he had missed that he would have gone down onto the rocks.

'He is very lucky to be alive. If he were a cat he would definitely have lost a few lives.'

Newfoundlands are known for their lifesaving skills, remarkable strength, loyalty and calmness - and are often used as working dogs by fishermen.

Only way is pup: Animal lover Lee Barnett gives his miracle pet a hefty hug after their dramatic ordeal



A spokesperson for Falmouth Coastguard said: 'The initial report came in of a dog trapped on cliffs, but when the teams arrived it became clear this was an unusually large dog.

'It weighed 12 stone and was really the size of a small pony. The owner said they were walking along the top when it disappeared from view.

'The crews were able to descend to the dog and bring it back up. It was clearly a valiant effort.'

Family and pet have now returned home to Coventry.