Springing Spaniels Anyone who has been on speaking terms with a very lively Springer Spaniel will hardly be surprised that a significant number of dog-and-lifeboat incidents seem to involve the breed... Including the one which made the national papers when Sheba, a yearold Springer, was more interested in the chase than looking where she was going while at the top of 250ft cliffs near Beachy Head.

Her horrified owners called the Coastguard to say she had fallen, and as Eastbourne's inshore lifeboat was on exercise with the allweather lifeboat at the time she was able to reach the bottom of the cliff about 15 minutes after the call.

To the crews' great surprise they found a dog running around happily on the beach, and at first could not believe that this was the one they were searching for. Amazingly, it was.

It needed all three crew members on the beach, but eventually Sheba was caught, wrapped in blanket borrowed from the all-weather lifeboat and taken back to the lifeboat station to be re-united with her owners.

Sheba was checked over by a vet, and was found to be completely unharmed after her adventure..