Glass House Mountains rescue: Dog rescued from Mt Ngungun cliff

A terrified pet dog has been rescued from a cliff ledge 25 metres high after taking off during a storm at the Sunshine Coast’s Glass House Mountains. SEE THE PICTURES

The rescue of Cooper the dog that took place this morning, November 30, on the side of Mt Ngungun in the Glass House Mountains.

Firefighters have rescued a dog from a Sunshine Coast mountain after it became terrified in a storm and raced up the peak before becoming trapped on a cliff in the dark.

On Thursday morning, Queensland Fire and Rescue officers were called to Sahara Rd, at the base of Mt Ngungun in the Glass House Mountains, after they received reports of a dog stuck on the mountain.

One of the rescuers, Maroochydore station officer Scott Daly, said the part-mastiff named Cooper had taken off from its home during a storm that passed through Beerwah late Wednesday.

The owners went looking and finally found their beloved pooch up the mountain on a fairly precarious ledge.

“They could hear it and see it but it was about 25m off the ground,” Mr Daly said.

Cooper the dog became terrified in a storm that swept through Beerwah yesterday, November 29, and took off up the side of Mt Ngungun.

The station officer said the dog owners did the right thing by phoning the firefighters because torrential rain had made conditions on the peak slippery.

The firefighter of 30 years said officers waited until Thursday morning to start the rescue.

The rescue of Cooper the dog that took place this morning, November 30, on the side of Mt Ngungun in the Glass House Mountains.

Mr Daly said the dog was in a weakened state when they reached it because it had been on the ledge, through a storm, without food or water and was “very pleased” to see the rescuers.

“There wasn’t much tail wagging because it had no room to move,” he said.

A Queensland Fire and Emergency Service spokeswoman said it took about 30 minutes and by 9.10am the rescuers and the dog were safely on the ground.

The rescuers climbed past the dog on the ledge so they could secure the animal in a harness from above.

Rescuers climbed about 25m on the side of Mt Ngungun in the Glass House Mountains to reach the beloved pooch.

“We actually do have a specialised piece of equipment for dog rescues,” Mr Daly said.

The firefighter said the dog harness took the weight of the animal and also allowed the rescuer’s hands to remain free.

He said the team performed about one dog rescue a year, usually from the side of mountains.

A joyful reunion between the animal and its owners took place on the ground.