A dog had an amazing escape after plunging 400ft off a cliff in North Yorkshire and then rescued by fishermen before he was taken out to sea.

Frank, a Lakeland Patterdale terrier cross, suffered a broken leg and foot while he lost a few teeth in the fall down to a beach where he was thankfully spotted by fishermen as the tide came in.

Frank is now back at his Derbyshire home with owner Stewart Wragg who is now £4,000 worse off due to vet bills.

Stewart, 63, was with a friend on the Cleveland Way, a North Yorkshire walk between Helmsley and Filey when the accident happened.

“I suspected he had caught the scent of a rabbit and gave chase,” said the dad of three.

“I was frantic with worry, but terriers are clever dogs and will usually find their way back by retracing their steps.”

He reported Frank missing and received a call from Alma Veterinary Surgery, in Scarborough, to say they had him.

"I asked if I could come and get him and they told me it wasn't as easy as that, that they still didn't know the extent of the damage and, as he was sedated, I ought to wait until morning," he said.

"I had the worst night's sleep that night. I really thought I was going to lose him.

Animal stories

"I have had Frank since he was two-years-old, for three years, and he a great friend to me, to be without him would be awful. He means so much."

Frank’s microchip was damaged by the fall but the local dog warden contacted Stewart after he had said his dog was missing.

"I am just so so grateful that he is alive," Stewart said. "It could have had a very different ending.”

RSPCA officer Claire Little said: "It is such a high drop – he was a very lucky boy to survive the fall and then to be found especially as the tide was coming in.

"I would just like to remind people walking on coastal paths it is often good to put their dogs on leads in these areas.

"Often dogs can get excited with all the sights and sounds, and even older pets may wonder further than they usually do."

Source: Read Full Article