Firefighters sent a team to retrieve the canine, which had found temporary refuge on a ledge about 40 feet (12 meters) below the top of the cliff. A San Francisco police drone operator who happened to be in the area heard the emergency call go out and captured an aerial view of the dog’s location, which he relayed to firefighters.
Once they knew where to find the animal, one rescuer rappelled down the sandy cliff face, attached a harness to the 40-pound (18-kilogram) dog and held it as they were pulled up together.
“He was happy. He knew he got rescued. He was wagging his tail. He was giving everyone kisses,” Menchaca said.
Rescuers reunited the dog with its owner.
Menchaca urged people to stay on marked paths, keep their dogs on leashes and their small children close.
“You may think that it’s a little berm or a hill, but it is a significant drop,” he said.
Firefighters unfortunately have to rescue people a lot in this area, Menchaca said. They train for it, and will always be there, but they don't want people to get hurt, he said.
“One of the best ways to not get hurt on these cliffs and our beautiful seaside parts of San Francisco is to stay on the marked paths,” he said.