Full Notification

On 03/15/14 at approximately 1:46PM, the Sheriff’s Helicopter “Henry-1” was requested to assist with the rescue of a dog in the Portugese Beach area of the Sonoma Coast. The owner of the dog had called 911 asking for help as her dog had fallen over a cliff.

The “Henry-1” crew launched knowing from prior experiences that bystanders will often put themselves in peril in an attempt to save animals in distress and become victim’s themselves.

The "Henry-1" crew arrived on scene of this incident within minutes of receiving the 911 call and located a Black Labrador, approximately 40’ down a 90’ cliff. The dog was perched on an approximate 2’ by 2’ ledge and could not move without falling. Bodega Bay Fire personnel also arrived at the top of the cliff. The fire personnel confirmed that the dog was not agitated by the arrival of the helicopter.

Pilot Paul Bradley landed nearby and Deputy Sheriff Henri Boustany affixed a 100’ “long line” to the belly of the aircraft. Boustany attached himself to the bottom of the “long line” and was flown by Bradley to the ledge where the dog was standed. Boustany noticed the dog was wearing a chest harness and used it to help secure the dog.

Once the dog was secured, it was flown to the top of the cliff and
relesed to Bodega Bay Fire personnel who quickly reunited the dog with its owner.

The rescue took less than 3 minutes to complete. The “Henry-1” crew, based at the Sonoma County Airport, routinely trains with all types of technical rescues to include cliff, ocean, remote rugged terrain, swift water and occasional animal rescues.

Sonoma County Sheriff's Office CR# 140315-014