LUDINGTON (WWJ) - A woman and her pet had to be rescued by the Coast Guard after falling off a sand bluff and spending the night on the Lake Michigan shoreline near Ludington.
The woman and her husband had been hiking with their three dogs along the bluff on Thursday when the soil gave way and they fell down the cliff to the shoreline. They tried to climb back up, but were unable to due to loose soil and sand.
The couple had their cell phones but due to lack of coverage, were unable to notify first responders. They spent the night on the shoreline and on Friday morning, the husband was able to climb out and notify local responders.
At approximately 10:15 a.m., the Coast Guard launched a boat to assess the situation, but it was unable to get near the bluff due to small craft advisory conditions and the shallow depth of water. Ludington Fire Department's high angle rescue teams rappelled down to the stranded woman, but encountered difficulties because of the steep terrain and loose ground.
At that point, the Coast Guard launched a helicopter and crews successfully hoisted the woman and one of her dogs at 12:44 p.m. The fire rescue team was able to rescue the remaining two dogs.
One of the fire team members suffered a leg injury while descending the bluff. The member was given a life jacket and waded into the water to be assisted onto the small boat and transported to local EMS on shore.
The woman was flown to Mason County Airport in Ludington. No injuries were reported.
