Rope team saves dog on cliff

By Sean Hart

Hermiston Herald

Hermiston volunteer firefighter Cody Marcum rappelled 30 feet down the side of a cliff in a multi-agency rescue effort Sunday to save a little dog who fell and was perched for several hours on a small ledge 100 feet above the Columbia River.

Tom Bryan, who lives just north of the Hermiston city limits, was hiking with his 3-year-old terrier mix, Suzy, on the Umatilla County Lewis and Clark Commemorative Trail a quarter of a mile west of Hat Rock State Park, which is about nine miles east of Umatilla on the Columbia River. At about 9:30 a.m., he noticed his four-legged best friend was missing.

Bryan was hiking with Margie Morgan, who lives east of Hermiston, and her puppy, Lexi. Morgan told Lexi, “Go find Suzy. Go find the dog,” and like the famed television Lassie, the border collie bolted toward the bluff along the river. Lexi led Bryan and Morgan to the spot where Suzy had slipped and slid about 30 feet down the cliff before stopping on a small ledge above the river.

“Apparently, she got too close to the edge and slid over and landed on her head on a little rock ledge sticking out,” Bryan said. “There was no way in the world she could get back up. Margie and I tried, but we couldn’t get to her because it was too steep and too dangerous.”

Morgan called the Umatilla County Dispatch Center, and she said, within a few minutes, a deputy from the Umatilla County Sheriff’s Office responded. Soon after, representatives from other agencies arrived to help: a park ranger from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Umatilla Rural Fire Protection District personnel and volunteer firefighters from Hermiston and Stanfield.

Hermiston volunteer Dave Stewart, who has years of experience with rope rescues from his former job as an emergency preparedness manager at the Umatilla Chemical Depot, had trained Marcum in rope rescues when he served on a rescue team at the depot in the past. Although neither of the men had performed a rope rescue to save a pet, both knew they were capable of the task.

“When we got out there, we made contact with the dog owner, and you could tell that he really loved his dog,” Stewart said. “We were all of the same impression that it was that man’s best friend. I called in on the radio and said this isn’t going to be a very difficult rescue at all. With all the training that Cody (Marcum) and I have done in the past, it really wasn’t a big deal. From my point of view, it was kind of two-fold: It was good practice, and we got to save a man’s best friend.”

Stewart set up the rigging and ropes and secured Marcum in a harness before lowering him over the side of the cliff. Stanfield volunteers assisted in the rope rescue: Chandi Walker operated a separate safety line, and Tristan Walker relayed communications between Marcum and Stewart.

Marcum rappelled about 30 feet down to the ledge and said the dog welcomed him when he arrived. He secured Suzy, and Stewart pulled the pair back up by hand, using a five-to-one mechanical advantage pulley system.

“The dog was in good spirits,” Marcum said. “It had an eye injury, but, other than that, the dog was in good shape. It was fairly simple, a fairly easy rescue for us. It took longer to set up and take down than it did to go over the edge and pull it up. That’s what we’re trained to do, and it’s nice to be able to put it to good use and show people that we’re actually able to do it safely.”

Bryan was relieved and excited to see his dog, but Suzy was even more exited to be back on flat land.

“When they hauled her up, she was probably the happiest dog in the county,” Bryan said. “She was happy to see anybody at all. She tried to jump right in this guy’s arms, but she was kind of in shock from the fall and hitting her head.”

The UCSO deputy carried Suzy to his patrol car and tried to warm her in front of the heater as he drove the dog and Bryan back to the lot where his vehicle was parked. Bryan transported Suzy to Hermiston Veterinary Clinic, where a veterinarian was standing by to treat her.

Suzy’s right eye was injured during the fall, and although she may lose vision in that eye, she was otherwise unharmed. Bryan said he was grateful people came together to help save his dog.

“It was excellent,” he said. “You couldn’t ask for any better service. Everybody was just great.”

Marcum and several others who participated in the rescue said they were happy to help.

“I think it went real smooth, and I’m glad that we were able to be the ones to help them,” Marcum said. “With all of our knowledge and experience, I don’t think it could have went any smoother. I’m a dog lover myself, too, and I’d want the same thing for my animal. It’s always nice to see someone willing to help you out in a time of need.”