A dog named Tilly survived a 120ft fall from a cliff near Peveril Point in Dorset on Sunday evening and was brought safely back up after a coastguard rescue involving teams from Swanage and St Albans. The fall happened at about 18:00 GMT, yet Tilly escaped without injury.

The rescue is being searched now because it combined a rare outcome with a sharp warning for anyone walking dogs along Dorset’s cliffs. A member of the public flying a drone nearby helped the teams locate Tilly after they began searching an area where no exact location had been given. Once the owner and dog were found, coastguard crews assisted them back up the cliff.

Tilly had been walking along the beach with her owner before the dog went over the edge, and the search that followed depended on quick coordination between Swanage Coastguard and the St Albans Coastguard Rescue Team. Swanage Coastguard said it was remarkable that Tilly fell approximately 120 feet and came away without injury.

That outcome did not soften the message from the rescue teams. Swanage Coastguard said the incident was frightening for the owners and used it to remind people to keep dogs on leads near cliff edges. The warning was blunt: dogs can be distracted by sounds and smells on a coastal walk and may run off to chase a bird or animal without realising they are close to the edge.

The unanswered question is how Tilly survived the drop so lightly. The coastguard did not explain that, and there was no indication of further action after the safe recovery. What it did make clear is that a dog on a cliff path can disappear in seconds, and in this case a public drone, a fast search and a little luck kept a walk from becoming a tragedy.