A WEST Cumbrian coastguard team has been training in Sandwith this week. 

The Whitehaven Coastguard has been doing Rope Rescue training involving a scenario where a person has tried to save their dog near a cliff. 

Whitehaven News: The team get involved with the exerciseThe team get involved with the exercise (Image: Whitehaven Coastguard)

A spokesperson said: "Training last night was Rope Rescue on the sandstone cliffs at Birkhams Quarry Sandwith.

The scenario was a young dog off the leash chased after wildlife and went over the cliff. The owner, rather than calling 999 for the Coastguard, had attempted to rescue the dog themselves and had subsequently taken a significant fall and sustained multiple injuries.

Whitehaven News: Sandwith Sandwith (Image: Whitehaven Coastguard)

"A Rope Rescue Technician, accompanied by an additional Casualty Carer was lowered over the cliff edge on a twin rope rescue system.

"Once in a position of safety with the casualties, they worked to assess, treat, package, and recover them.

Whitehaven News: The team conduct the exerciseThe team conduct the exercise (Image: Whitehaven Coastguard)

"The human dummy casualty was recovered in our rope rescue stretcher, with a second recovery undertaken for the dog dummy in our specialist animal rope rescue bag."