A 50-year-old Elk Grove man and his 1-year-old Labrador retriever had to be rescued by helicopter from a perilous cliff side near Bodega Bay on Saturday afternoon, authorities say.
The man, who authorities did not identify, was walking his dog, Bella, on the edge of the Bodega Head cliffs when the dog slipped and went over the edge, said Sonoma County Sheriff's Sgt. Dave Thompson. As the man tried to rescue Bella, he became trapped between a rock and the cliff face about 25 feet down from the trail and about 150 feet above the water, Thompson said. The dog was about 10 feet below him.
Thompson described the terrain as "very rugged, treacherous coastline."
"It was mountain goat material," he said.
The man was trapped for about 40 minutes before flagging down a passerby for help. The sheriff's department responded with its helicopter, Henry-1. A deputy reached the man and dog while tethered to a 100-foot line, Thompson said.
Nobody was injured during the rescue mission, which lasted about two minutes.
Thompson said the man was not walking in a prohibited area, but he urged hikers to be cautious when walking on the trail near the cliff.
"Keep pets and children away from the edge of those cliffs would be my advice," he said.
Call The Bee's Kim Minugh, (916) 321-1038.
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