Dog Trapped On Steep Cliff Rescued By Fairfield Firefighters

FAIRFIELD, CT — Firefighters came to the rescue of a dog trapped on a steep cliff Friday in Fairfield.

Emergency crews were called just before 10 p.m. to the 3700 block of Black Rock Turnpike, where they found the animal on the plateau of a cliff overlooking a sharp drop to the road below, according to Assistant Chief Roger Caisse.

The dog, named Winfield after former New York Yankees player Dave Winfield, had been missing at least 10 hours. His owners were searching for him near their home on Lakewood Drive, which backs up against an area high above the turnpike, when they heard Winfield whining and found him, completely trapped.

“The dog was very sweet, but he was very scared,” Caisse said.

Firefighters used a tower ladder to reach the family pet from a parking lot off of the turnpike, with first responders riding up through the tree brush below in a bucket to reach the plateau and bring Winfield to safety.

Without the tower ladder, which the department obtained within the past year, the rescue would have been much more difficult, according to Caisse.

“The dog’s owners were attempting to use extension ladders to get to where the animal was,” he said, adding the family’s planned method of rescue was “extremely dangerous.” “They were desperate to save their dog.”

Pet rescues are not out of the ordinary for the fire department, according to Caisse.

“We do animal rescues, believe it or not — the cat in the tree,” he said. “There was no way the dog was going to get out of the situation he was in.”

Caisse urged pet owners to always call for help if their furry family members find themselves somewhere precarious.

“We’re equipped to do those things,” he said.