- Dog escapes injury after plunging over cliff
- Tourists on boat trip spot dog from the water six hours later
He must have thought it was the chase of his life. And it very nearly did cost him his life when Ben the springer collie-cross tumbled 120 feet over a cliff - and survived.
The one-year-old dog was in hot pursuit of a deer when he plunged over a cliff at Durlston Bay, near Swanage in Dorset.
Incredibly, the plucky pooch was uninjured in the fall and waited faithfully on the rocks below for his owner to collect him.
Paws for thought: Stranded Ben sits patiently as he waits to be rescued after his dramatic fall over the side of a cliff
Between a rock and a hard place: The one-year-old springer-collie cross miraculously survived plunging 120 feet
Ben's worried owner thought the dog had got lost and quickly put up notes in the area appealing for help in finding him.
But as the search was under way on top of the cliffs, rescuers were unaware the dog was sitting patiently on the rocks below.
It was only when tourists on a boat trip spotted him from the water six hours later that the alarm was finally raised.
Ben was plucked to safety by a lifeboat crew from the isolated beach at Durlston Bay, near Swanage in Dorset.
Old sea dog: Ben looks unfazed by his dramatic scrape as he sits in the rescue boat
My heroes: Ben is petted by his RNLI rescue team and shows no signs of permanent damage
The rescue team, from the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, tracked down Ben's owner - who was still looking for his pet - and the pair were reunited at the lifeboat station.
His owner explained they had been walking at Durlston Head when Ben spotted the deer and chased it through undergrowth.
Dave Turnbull, from Swanage lifeboat, said: 'The man didn't realise Ben had gone over the cliff.
'He had run off after a deer and disappeared and the owner spent hours looking for him.
'Amazingly Ben was fine. He was spotted sitting on the rocks by a passing boat, who got in touch with coastguards to report it.
'One of our crew members went on shore and the dog ran towards him, quite happy to be picked up.
'We had a bit of trouble finding the owner but eventually came across him when he was on his third walk through the park looking for the dog.'
The owner of the dog was said to be very relieved after being reunited with his dog.
Steve Blanchard, of Poole Sea Safari, which runs the boat trips along the coast, said: 'Ben was happily reunited with his owner and was none the worse for wear after his ordeal.'
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