Beau – Newfie/Lab Who Fell Down a Cliff

On June 22, WASART was called to assist Beau, a 110-pound Newfoundland/Lab mix who fell down a steep cliff near Shelton.

When the call came in, Beau’s owners could hear him barking and yelping but could not see him. Initial estimates placed him anywhere from 30 to nearly 300 feet below the home on a steep, heavily brush-covered slope. Mason County Sheriff’s Office deputies were already on scene supporting the family and helping assess access options while WASART began coordinating a response.

Because Shelton is a significant distance from where WASART’s rescue equipment is staged, two qualified responders who were closer to the area deployed immediately to begin a scene assessment while additional Technical Rescue Team members mobilized along with our equipment van.

Once on scene, responders were faced with extremely challenging conditions: steep terrain, dense brush, limited visibility, and thick vegetation that made movement slow and exhausting. Rescuers initially searched from below, climbing through brush and navigating high-angle rock, before determining the safest access would be from above using rope systems.

After carefully rigging multiple rappel lines and descending different fall lines, rescuers still had not located Beau. To help narrow the search area, Mason County Sheriff’s Office assisted by sounding patrol vehicle sirens from below. Beau barked in response, giving rescuers the critical clue they needed. Minutes later, our team located Beau nearly 300 feet below the home.

The best news: Beau appeared alert, responsive, and remarkably uninjured.

The challenge then became getting him safely back up.

Using a technical rope rescue system, WASART rescuers slowly began raising Beau up the hillside. Progress was intentionally slow. In some sections, Beau was able to help by walking on his own; in others, rescuers had to support and partially carry him through dense brush, over logs, and across steep sections of terrain.

As the rescue continued, Mason County Search and Rescue provided valuable assistance with help on the haul lines and additional equipment ready if needed.

After hours of careful teamwork, Beau was safely brought back over the edge and reunited with his owners.

This rescue highlights what makes successful missions possible: strong interagency cooperation, technical training, problem-solving, and teamwork under difficult conditions.

A sincere thank you to Mason County Sheriff’s Office for their on-scene support and assistance throughout the rescue, and to Mason County Search & Rescue for support and additional resources.

And most importantly—welcome home, Beau.

WASART is an all-volunteer nonprofit organization. There is never a charge for our rescues.