Dog walker, 64, slipped and plunged to his death over cliff at Devon beauty spot while trying to save his springer that was stuck on a ledge

A dog walker slipped and plunged to his death over a cliff while trying to rescue his pet pooch that was stuck on a ledge.

Thomas Aldwinckle had gone out for a walk at lunchtime with his springer dog Mac along the South West Coast Path in east Devon in July last year, but failed to return home by 7:10pm that evening. 

The 64-year-old, who had a passion for 17th century English Civil War reenactments was staying at a lodge in Sandy Bay owned by him and his wife Rosemary, who called police when she became worried about his disappearance. 

An Exeter inquest heard a police helicopter located his body at the bottom of cliffs at 8:30pm in Littleham Cove, while his beloved dog Mac was found stranded on a ledge above where his body was discovered.

Rosemary believes Tom slipped and fell to his death trying to save Mac who was prone to running off when he picked up a scent.

She said: ‘Mac has a mind of his own. He has no recall and does not listen.

‘I think he got off the lead and probably followed a scent and went over the ledge.

‘They were always together. Tom would have gone over not thinking about himself.

The coroner heard that Tom and five year old Mac had been inseparable since buying him as a puppy. 

He died from multiple injuries consistent with a fall from height. He had also consumed alcohol which may have affected his decision making skills.

Senior Devon coroner Philip Spinney recorded an accidental death conclusion on the grandfather.

He said it was a possibility that Mac had gone over the cliff edge and Tom ‘would have gone over without thinking of himself’ but that the alcohol could have ‘grossly impaired’ his judgement.

He said: ‘The fall was probably unintentional. On the balance of probabilities his death was an accident.’