West Van emergency crews urge caution after dog rescued from steep cliff

Emergency crews are reminding dog walkers to be cautious on local trails during the upcoming wet and rainy months after a pooch had to be rescued while off leash in West Vancouver recently.

West Vancouver Fire and Rescue Services, as well as West Van police and bylaw officers, were dispatched to Cypress Falls Park at 2:50 p.m. on Sept. 16 after a person walking a dog in the park reported the dog had gone off the trail and was stuck on a cliff.

After entering the park, emergency crews were shown the dog’s last known location by the dog walker. The fire department located the pooch on a steep cliff edge about five metres below the trail, said assistant fire chief Jeremy Calder.

“Crews set up for a high-angle rescue and lowered the rescuer down to the dog. The dog was placed in an animal rescue harness and both were raised up back to the trail,” said Calder.

The dog appeared to be in OK condition after emergency crews brought it back onto the trail, said Calder, adding that the rescue took less than an hour to complete.

With more rainy and slippery weather ahead, Calder said the department is reminding hikers and dog walkers alike to use caution on North Shore trails, especially with anticipated rising water levels and faster moving streams and rivers in the fall and winter months.

“Use caution and a leash in the Cypress Falls trails or in Cypress Falls Park as the trail’s adjacent to a steep cliff with unstable edges,” said Calder. “With the coming rain, use caution around high-flowing creeks and streams.”