Hiker peers over cliff edge looking for missing dog — and tumbles off, rescuers say
A man tumbled off a cliff over a coastal trail in Alaska while looking for his missing dog, rescuers said.
The hiker noticed his dog, Xena, was missing, so he “peered over the edge” in search of her, the Anchorage Fire Department said in a March 30 post on Facebook.
He held onto a tree branch — which snapped and sent him “tumbling down the cliff,” the department said.
Photos show rescuers helping the hiker with what appears to be a rope system.
Rescuers lowered the injured hiker down the cliff to help waiting below, then started working to help the missing dog as the hiker was taken to the hospital, the department said.
An animal control officer came armed with treats that helped “entice Xena to cooperate,” the department said. The dog was given to a family friend while her owner was receiving care at a hospital.
“Everyone, please be careful along the coastal trail,” the department said. “Stay on the paved trail and keep pets secured on a leash. Call for help instead of venturing off trail to locate other people or pets.”
This story was originally published March 31, 2025 at 1:42 PM with the headline "Hiker peers over cliff edge looking for missing dog — and tumbles off, rescuers say."
