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A French bulldog named Klipse who went tumbling 40 feet down a cliff at Palisades Interstate Park was rescued by Port Authority Police officers on Tuesday morning July 30, PAPD spokeswoman Lenis Valens said.
PAPD's Emergency Service Unit got the call from the George Washington Bridge command around 6:50 that morning.
Within minutes, Officer Nicola spotted Klipse on the slope, according to Valens.
Using a rope rescue system, Nicola and his partner, Officer Kuchie, rappelled down to reach the stranded pup. According to Valens, the officers rappelled about 50 feet to come up behind the pup so they didn’t scare him further down the slope.
With help from an animal snare and a K9 harness, they brought Klipse back up the cliff, safely attached to Nicola.
Remarkably, Klipse emerged from the incident unscathed, Valens said.
Officer Nicola, who has been with the Port Authority for 10 years, had not previously been involved in an animal rescue, making this a notable first for him.
Officer Kuchie, also with a decade of service, has considerable experience in animal rescues, including a recent high-profile rescue of Ricardo, a famous bull found three miles from Newark Penn Station earlier this year.
The Port Authority Emergency Service Unit handles a wide range of critical operations, including animal control, vehicle extrication, hazardous material management, active shooter situations, high and low angle rescues, water emergencies, and tactical operations.
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