A JACK Russell terrier was rescued after falling nearly 200 feet down the Grey Mare’s Tail on Sunday.
Owner Neil Elliot raised the alarm on Sunday afternoon after witnessing his beloved dog Louie disappear out of sight over the cliff’s edge.
The famous waterfall is one of the highest in the UK plunging over 60m into the valley below.
Police alerted Moffat Mountain Rescue Team (MMRT) which raced to the popular nature reserve to begin their search for Louie. A total of 15 team members attended the callout, with three deployed initially to locate the dog and plan the best way to access him safely.
The dog was spotted in one of the lower pools having fallen the full length of the waterfall, the team set up a rope system to lower a single team member with their specialised Lyon animal rescue bag.
The bag has been purchased following a fundraising campaign by Lost Dogs Dumfries and Galloway in response to a similar incident when a dog had fallen into the Grey Mare’s Tail in 2021.
Team leader James Cole said: “Louie was pulled out of the bottom of the waterfall alive and was very pleased to be reunited with his owner.
“Although they were not local to the area, the team provided them with details of a local vet they could contact to have Louie checked over after his ordeal.
“The owner did the right thing contacting the Police and hence Mountain Rescue to ensure the search and rescue was carried out in the safest way possible.
“We wish Louie all the best in his recovery!”
Despite having a slight limp, Louie escaped his ordeal largely unscathed, his grateful owner, who was visiting the area on holiday from Aberdeen, later posted on the MMRT’s facebook page he said: “Absolutely amazing bunch, I can’t begin to thank you enough for saving Louie.”
Lee Heron of Lost Dogs Dumfries and Galloway added: “Lovely to see the equipment being used. Massive thanks to everyone on Lost Dog Dumfries and Galloway who helped fundraise for this back in 2021.”
