Praise for Sidmouth Lifeboat after Star survives 80ft cliff fall

The black labrador’s owners held a coffee morning to raise money for the lifeboat after saving their pet in November.

The owners of a ‘lucky’ labrador that fell 80ft down a cliff near Budleigh Salterton and lived have raised £500 to thank her rescuers.

Jan and Neil Scholfield, from Exeter, met the team from Sidmouth Lifeboat that came to the aid of two-year-old Star.

The black labrador has now made a full recovery after suffering a collapsed lung, dislocated hip and fractured pelvis – injuries which left rescuers and vets wondering if she would survive.

Sidmouth Lifeboat operations manager Phil Shepperd, who was at the helm of the boat on the day, said: “It was an 80ft sheer drop - nothing to break her fall, just straight down. When we got her in the boat, she was only just breathing. I was thinking she was not going to make it.”

The incident happened in November, while Mrs Scholfield, 56, had been walking her two dogs with a friend. She said: “I had never been there before, or again. It’s almost like a nightmare, I’m glad I did not see her falling. I wouldn’t like to keep seeing that. The first thing I did was call the coastguard. I couldn’t see her, I couldn’t get close enough. I had to walk around to see where she had fallen and she was down there on a rock.

“She wasn’t making any noise, but she was picking her head up. The vets did not think she would make it.”

Sidmouth lifeboat was launched to assist Exmouth Coastguard in the search for Star. After the rescue, Star was rushed to the vets at The White Lodge in Exmouth before being transferred to City Vets in Exeter.

Mr and Mrs Scholfield held a coffee morning in aid of Sidmouth Lifeboat.