Father and son battle 13ft waves to rescue dog from cave

A FATHER and son rescued a dog from a partially submerged cave in Cornwall after lifeboat crews had to stand down.

Mullion and Porthoustock coastguard rescue had been working with the RNLI to look for the dog in “treacherous” conditions as 13ft-high waves battered the rocky coastline.

Despite an intensive search when the dog was reported missing at around 2pm on 11 April, the crews were forced to withdraw and return to their station. After the tide dropped, locals Rudy Donovan and his father entered the water to try and find the missing dog.

The Donovan family manage the nearby Kynance Cove café and Rudy said they are “experienced surfers” who know the cove “very well”.

He added: “Once the tide dropped, the caves, which are submerged at high tide, had about a waistline depth of water in so we could have a proper look.

“The waves were still big and the journey round was still very deep [above our heads], making it quite hectic, so the paddle round was challenging and we had to time our actions carefully to avoid large sets of waves.

“Once we got round there, we went into the cave where the dog was last heard. The cave was pitch black but we used a head torch to find the dog.”

He said they were able to calm the dog down and get her onto one of their surfboards. Rudy continued: “After a few wipe-outs and having to get the dog back on the board after large waves we got her round to safety.

“We are so glad we went for a look as it prevented the dog from being left overnight at the back of the long cave.”

A spokesman for the Lizard RNLI team said: “Initial reports were that the dog was trapped inside a cave but no trace was found and following an intensive search of the area RNLB Rose was stood down to return to station”

“Thankfully, [ the] dog was recovered by members of the public.”