A Boxing Day tragedy was averted when emergency teams rescued a dog who had vaulted the parapet of Burrator Reservoir dam and fallen around 50 feet into the valley below.

The Dartmoor Search and Rescue Team Tavistock was called by the police at the request of the Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service at 4.19pm on Boxing Day who required assistance in the search for an injured black Labrador called Obi.

Obi was spotted by a member of the public but then disappeared. Mountain Rescue Teams do not usually search for lost animals but to avoid risk to members of the public who were intent on searching in darkness alongside fast flowing water they deployed members who are trained and equipped for such tasks.

Within minutes of beginning their search Obi was spotted and his owners were escorted to him. He was assessed by one of the members of the search and rescue team who is a veterinary surgeon and then carried to a team Land Rover for transport to a veterinary practice in Yelverton for treatment.

A happy end to Boxing Day for all concerned.