Dramatic Air Rescue Saves Stranded Dog

Yossy the Dog Gets Winched to Safety

A missing Collie dog called Yossy has been flown to safety and reunited with his owner thanks to a helicopter rescue team from Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose. The duty crew of 771 Naval Air Squadron, based at the Cornish Air Station in Helston, had been scrambled to rescue two stranded walkers cut off by the sea near Watergate Bay (Newquay). However, whilst the Sea King helicopter was hovering close to the cliffs and the winchman being lowered down to the ground to lift the walkers to safety, one of the Pilots spotted two bright eyes looking at him.

Pilot Lt Pete McCormick, who spotted Yossy the dog said: “Whilst we were winching the two people from the beach, I was keeping a close eye on the aircraft’s proximity to the cliff. I spotted two doleful eyes looking back at me from midway up the rocks and once we had got the two casualties to safety, I got the crew to take a closer look. We managed to lower our aircrewman Petty Officer Jason Bibby onto the cliff and he saw that the eyes belonged to a Collie dog that looked a bit like Shep! We thought that he must belong to one of the stranded walkers, and because he had no way of getting back up the cliff, Jason tried to help him.”

Aircraft Commander Lt Cdr Mike Luscombe added: “Despite the noise from the helicopter, Yossy was very pleased to see Jason, but he was obviously in pain because he growled. Jason managed to calm Yossy down, and on further examination he noticed that he had a broken paw.”

The crew then scooped up the dog in a large harness and winched him up into the helicopter before landing on top of the cliff. The helicopter crew were then scrambled to another rescue mission – this time a stranded person on a beach near Plymouth. So Yossy was handed over to the Coastguard team who took him to the local Vets – Kings of Newquay.

Co-incidentally, the owner of the dog turned out to be the practice nurse at the Vets who was delighted to be reunited with Yossy because he had been missing for over a week. After last night’s reunion celebrations, Yossy has an appointment with the Vet today to operate on his injured leg.

The helicopter crew wish Yossy well and hope to pay him a visit next week. Lt Cdr Mike Luscombe said: “Yossy was a lovely dog, and he was good as gold whilst he sat in the back of the aircraft obviously pleased to be taken to safety. We are just glad that he could be reunited with his owner and hope that his operation goes well today.”

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