Santa Barbara City Firefighters rescue a man and dog from cliffside

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - The Santa Barbara City Fire Department responded to a report of a man that had gone over the side of a cliff near Douglas Family Preserve Saturday afternoon.

The fire department said that the man had seen a dog go over the side of the cliff and had gone over to help the dog. Unfortunately, the man became stuck in a precarious place with the dog about 30 feet down the cliffside.

When firefighters arrived, they found the man holding the dog. Fire crews were able to get a rope system in place and sent one firefighter down to the man and dog.

Once down, the firefighter put both the man and dog in harnesses. The rest of the firefighters then pulled all three individuals up to the top of the cliff. The man and dog were safely helped back onto the Douglas Family Preserve.

Both the man and firefighter sustained minor injuries on their hands after being bitten by the dog. City Fire suspects the dog highly stressed. Neither required medical attention.

The dog suffered some cuts on its stomach but is expected to recover. The dog's owner was at the scene and is very thankful to the man for his help.

The rescue took about 45 minutes total to be completed.