Lucky Jess!

Congratulations to members of the Irish Cave Rescue Organisation (ICRO) who recently rescued retired sheepdog, Jess, from a sea cave by Porturlin Harbour near Belmullet, Co. Mayo. Two ICRO rescuers descended by rope some 50m down a grassy slope and over the cliff edge to reach Jess. The dog was put in an animal rescue harness and given food, then hauled up from the base of the cliff and returned to her family safe and well after her adventure. At the start of July, ICRO – with members of the North West Mountain Rescue Team – assisted in the rescue of a calf from a cave in Co. Fermanagh. Three ICRO team members descended seven to eight metres into the cave and after skillfully corralling the calf and attaching a sling harness, the animal was carefully hauled to the surface. ICRO is a voluntary rescue service responsible for cave rescue on the island of Ireland. This is not the first time that ICRO has been involved in animal rescues such as these; their specialist skills in rope-rescue techniques and technical rigging of vertical pitches make them highly qualified to carry out such endeavours. Photo: Irish Cave Rescue Organisation.