MENDOCINO CO., 7/23/25 — A man and his dog were rescued from a cliff near the Arch, a popular rock formation just off Heeser Drive at Mendocino Headlands State Park Tuesday evening by a Mendocino Volunteer Fire Department crew.
At 8:36 p.m. Tuesday, firefighters received a call that a man and his dog were stuck on a cliff located at the Mendocino Headlands State Park.
According to the fire department, the man’s dog had fallen into the water, and after the owner rescued his pet, they both became stuck on a cliff.
After the fire department received a call that the man was stranded, volunteers quickly responded and arrived with jet skis, a cliff rescue truck and a medical rescue rig. They were able to successfully rescue the man and his dog and bring the man to medics.
Neither the man nor the dog was injured.
“We’ve had about three people get stuck on a cliff this year,” said John Posias, the department’s assistant chief. “At this time of year, it is more common.”
Posias said that it was a seamless rescue mission. Both the man and his dog were released to a group of friends after the event.
“We got him safely onto the jet ski, got him safely onto Portuguese Beach shore, got him checked out by medics, and we were done,” Posias added.
The Mendocino Volunteer Fire Department was also joined by California State Park lifeguards, an Adventist Health Mendocino Coast ambulance, and Cal Fire employees during the mission. “All the agencies worked together seamlessly to remove him from the cliff and onto our jet skis,” the department wrote on Facebook.
For Posias, he is relieved that the fire department was able to respond in such a quick and effective manner.
“This is why we are here,” he said.