A dog that was missing for 15 days has been found 'alive and well' clinging to a cliff edge as it's relieved owners described the turnaround of events as "miraclous".
Mali, the Bernese Mountain dog, disappeared on August 16 when she was spooked by highwinds on Aaranmore island Co Donegal and slipped her lead, reports Belfast Live.
Her owner, Sarah Recinos Ralda, who is visitng Ireland from Germany with her family for a month long stay, had lost all hope of finding her beloved dog after days of endless searching.
Until Saturday when Michael Boyle who was sailing around the island on a pleasure boat, heard the sound of barking in the distance. He raised the alarm and skipper John Paul Baskin of North West Charters who cut the engine to try to hear the barking and locate the area it was coming from.
The pair knew that Mali was missing along with many on the island who has been involved in the search, but they couldn't believe their eyes when they spotted the dog on the rocks with the sea crashing 200 feet below.
John Paul told Donegal Daily: “It was a very good day and we decided to go around the island for a bit of fishing. Nobody would have been around that part of the island for a while because of the poor weather recently.
“One of the lads, Michael Boyle, said he thought he heard a dog barking and I thought he was having us on because we all knew everyone was looking for Mali.
“He said he was serious and we turned off the engine and we could hear the barking clearly. It was hard to spot her because she is black and the cliffs are dark and it was only because of the small patch of white on her chest that we could see her.
“Everyone got so excited and I radioed Malin Head straight away and then headed around to the pier to see the dog.”
A member of the public who heard the call out to to the Malin Head Coastguard Station made his way to the area in hopes he could reach Mali, and within an hour Mali had been rescued and was in John Paul’s boat.
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They sailed to the ainland to meet Sarah, her husband David and their four very excited children, who had been staying in a holiday home Kincasslagh.
The family was just days away from leaving Ireland to return home to Germany when Sarah expressed how heartbreaking it would be to depart without their beloved dog, Mali.
Then, on Saturday evening, they received miraculous news: not only was Mali safe, but she was in good spirits. At around 10pm, the family was joyfully reunited with her.
Sarah described the moment: "It’s unbelievable. Mali was found and rescued from the cliffs below the lighthouse by an incredible group of people. She’s not dehydrated, seems alert, has lost a little weight, and is very hungry, but otherwise, she’s doing well.
"We’re still in shock and overwhelmed. We'll have her checked by a vet and update everyone on her condition once she's examined. We’re deeply grateful to everyone who helped search for Mali, shared our pleas for help, and supported us. A special thank you to Michael Boyle, who heard her barking, and to John Paul Baskin, who raised the alarm."
Sarah explained that their dream vacation turned into a nightmare when Mali disappeared. "We’d been in Ireland for about a week, exploring Arranmore on August 16 when it happened. We underestimated the winds at the lighthouse. Mali was on her leash but broke free, and the strong winds made any recall impossible. She never returned.
"We had no idea if someone had picked her up or what might have happened. We considered so many possibilities but held onto hope that she was still alive."
Dozens of searches were conducted, including using a drone to inspect the island’s rugged cliffs, but there was no sign of Mali.
Sarah recalled their fears: "We worried she had fallen off the cliff and was stuck on a ledge, but it seemed unlikely since most of the cliffs had been searched from above with binoculars, and no barking was heard. We held out hope with all our strength but prepared for the worst."
Their despair turned to joy on August 31 when faint barking was finally heard, and Mali was spotted.
Sarah’s suspicions were confirmed—Mali had slipped off the cliff but ended up on a wide ledge, with her leash caught on a rock, keeping her securely in place.
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