Britain's luckiest dog? Dexter the spaniel survives 230ft fall after chasing bird off a cliff

Meet Dexter the springer spaniel who has been dubbed Britain’s luckiest dog‘ after surviving a 230 feet cliff onto a beach.

Dexter was being taken for a walk by owner Mark Harris at a popular beauty spot in Portreath, Cornwall, but shortly after setting off he chased a bird and went straight over a cliff edge.

He fell a whopping 230ft (70m), almost the length of a football pitch.

But after a daring rescue by coastguard volunteers they found not only that Dexter had survived but miraculously hadn’t broken any bones.

Coastguards say he is ‘the luckiest dog the in UK’.

‘Having parked at the beach car park in Portreath I got myself kitted up to go on a 15km walk along the coastal path,’ said Mark.

‘We climbed what must have been some 80 metres and then reached the plateau on the top of the cliffs.

‘I never took into account what he would do if a large bird flew up in front of him and disappeared over the edge of the cliff.

‘With hindsight, Dexter should have been on a lead because the sight of such a bird allowed for a red mist to descend over Dexter and he careered straight after it.

‘All my calling and shouting in that very instant could not stop what happened next… Dexter disappeared over the edge of the cliff.

‘In blind panic, I ran to the cliff’s edge hoping that there would be a ledge but there was a sheer drop of over 70 meters to the beach below.

‘Dexter’s body was lying on the beach at the bottom of the cliffs sprawled and unmoving.’

Mark thought that Dexter was surely dead, but called 999 so the dog’s body could be removed.

He continued: ‘I took a photo of him lying motionless on the beach as I needed something to cling on to and remind me of my idiocy of not following the code of walking dogs along the cliffs.

‘I was just about to call 999 when there was movement from below.

‘First Dexter’s head moved a little. Then he raised himself up on his front legs and the back legs followed.

‘He walked slowly towards the sea and the wash lapped over his paws. He walked back towards the base of the cliffs and curled up on the sand.

‘The Coastguard arrived within 20 minutes – quite an incredible response time.

‘They got me back from the cliff’s edge and took control.’

After help arrived, Dexter was carried to a nearby vet surgery in a crate and was, astonishingly, given the all clear.

‘All his internal organs were fine, apart from his lungs that had undergone quite severe bruising,’ added Mark.