The dog fell to its death from Swirral Edge
Rescuers called out after calls for help were heard on a Lakeland ridge discovered a dog had fallen to its death.
Patterdale Mountain Rescue Team was alerted today about 3.50pm after a woman walking in the Helvellyn area heard shouts and spotted a group in distress on Swirral Edge, one of the two arêtes leading to the summit of the mountain.
The walker rang police and mountain rescue, fearing someone had fallen.
A Patterdale MRT spokesperson said: “A number of Patterdale team member were deployed on to the fell where they met a large family group coming down.
“The group acknowledged that it was probably their cries that the reporting person had heard. The family pet a 30kg rottweiler had fallen from Swirral Edge into Brown Cove.
“The father of the group managed to scramble down to the dog but discovered that it had sustained fatal injuries in the fall.”
Team members escorted the group back to their vehicle in Glenridding.
Ian Jones
24 August 2012So was this 30kg rottweiler on a lead?
I hope the MRT didn't stretcher it down.
RWerks 303
25 August 2012That is so awful..poor dog...poor family.
PeteStuart
25 August 2012Bloody daft idea taking a dog that size on swirl edge, poor dog i guess
Jhimmy
25 August 2012Rottweilers should easily cope with rocky ridges. The dog was breed for mountain and outdoor use hundreds of years ago. It's the owners who let their dogs run where they like instead of training them to follow that's at fault.
I once saw a spaniel fall from the bad step on Sharp Edge, the owner wasn't even bothered saying to everyone that the dog once fell 50 feet so should be all-right....it did survive but it upset a dozen walkers who witnessed it, including me.
Tallis
26 August 2012I don't take my dog (bearded collie) scrambling, she doesn't like it and its not fair on other walkers to have a nervous dog on a ridge with them. Sad news for the family losing a pet like that.
Martin
27 August 2012My most alarming journey along Striding was with our late retriever - that was the summer he discovered sheep, so he was on a lead and trying to get at the flocks down in the valley.
Dave
28 August 2012Unless theyare working, keep dogs away from exoposed ground, they and their leads can cause accidents. Take them for a nice walk but not on ridges!
All the gear and no idea.
Helen
17 January 2013We had to help a man and his dogs on striding edge last summer. One of them fell, so while he scrambled down to rescue it, we tried to keep hold of the other. It was trying to follow its owner and nearly pulled my partner off the ledge with it. Later on we nearly got legged up by them running round us with their extendible leads! I have however seen very well behaved dogs out walking. A lot of it is down to the owners and how well the dogs have been trained.