A LUCKY dog survived for six days on a bushy ledge after she plunged more than 100 feet down a sheer cliff face near Sidmouth. Beauty, a three-year-old Dachsund, was chasing a rabbit when she took the tumble on Saturday, May 22 at Dunscombe. Her owners, C

A LUCKY dog survived for six days on a bushy ledge after she plunged more than 100 feet down a sheer cliff face near Sidmouth.

Beauty, a three-year-old Dachsund, was chasing a rabbit when she took the tumble on Saturday, May 22 at Dunscombe.

Her owners, Chris and Helen Warren, visited the spot every day to search for Beauty but could find no trace of her.

A local man walking along the cliffs then heard the dog barking last Friday and informed her owners, who were holidaying with some friends at Dunscombe Manor Caravan Park.

Beer Coastguard was called to the cliffs and managed to eventually locate Beauty, who was hidden away on a plateau under gorse and bracken.

Terry Hoare, Beer Coastguard station manager, said: "It was a difficult rescue. We had to send someone over with a harness and rope to locate her exact position and we had to move along the cliff edge twice to get to the correct place. We had to cut our way through bracken and bushes and when the cliffman reached the plateau he had to cut his way through more gorse to get her."

After a three-hour rescue operation, Beauty was reunited with Helen, 38, and Chris, 52, from Wotton-Under-Edge in Gloucestershire.

She had an injured leg, which was later found to be broken, but Mr Hoare said she was in a "good condition" following the ordeal.

He added: "Her owners were ecstatic and the women were in tears."

Mr Hoare described Beauty's survival as "miraculous"

"We had a dog a couple of years ago which survived for a fortnight down the cliffs," he said.

"As far as we know the dog [Beauty] had been there for six days. There was plenty of vegetation and there might have been some water. Although it was very hot over that weekend she was covered by some shade."

* During the rescue, Beer Coastguard was also informed of an elderly woman who had collapsed as she walked the coast path. A member of the team stayed with the 74-year-old until she was recovered and then drove her back to her vehicle.