Warning as windsurfer rescued in force four winds in emergency off Welsh coast
The lifeboat was immediately re-launched and made a search of the bay. The crew saw a windsurfer waving at them clearly trying to draw their attention.
When they made their way to him they spotted another person in the sea close by. He was wearing a wetsuit and was almost 400 metres offshore. He had been separated from his windsurfer. The man was taken on board the lifeboat and taken back to shore.
READ MORE: Man airlifted from Welsh beach by air ambulance
READ MORE: One word dominates the Met Office's new forecast for the coming month
Get daily breaking news updates on your phone by joining our WhatsApp community here. We occasionally treat members to special offers, promotions and ads from us and our partners. See our Privacy Notice
In a statement the crew said: "The wind was blowing at force four and there was a one metre swell. Had the windsurfer, close to the man in the water, not drawn the crews attention it would have extremely difficult to have spotted the man in the water."
The lifeboat was launched again shortly after 4pm. when information was received of a kitesurfer in difficulty. A search of the area was made but no kitesurfer could be found.
Lawrie Grove, the lifeboat perations manager for the Horton and Port Eynon Station urged windsurfers to take care, pay attention to weather conditions and take a mobile phone to call for help.
He said: 'We want people to have fun when heading out on the water, however incidents can happen even for the most experienced water users.
"When going windsurfing always carry a means of calling for help such as a mobile phone in a waterproof pouch.
"In the event of an emergency, if possible stay with your equipment, call 999 and ask for the Coastguard.
"Weather conditions, particularly offshore winds and strong tidal currents can make it more difficult or even impossible to return to the shore, so it is really important to check the forecast and tide times before you head out.
"Remember to wear a well-fitted buoyancy aid or personal floatation device as this will help you float if you end up in the water unexpectedly."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CBS News
5 hours ago
- CBS News
Rising number of hoist rescues in Colorado has experts thinking
The call last weekend was another serious one. There was a rockfall and a climber caught up in it, who had tumbled down part of the face of 14,041-foot Little Bear Peak southeast of the Great Sand Dunes National Park in Colorado. "It was Sunday morning, 8 or 9 o'clock in the morning, I'm playing with the kids, and the phone goes off," said Chief Warrant Officer 3 Daniel Bentley of the Colorado Army National Guard. Bentley is with Detachment 1 of Charlie Company 1-168th, part of the General Support Aviation Battalion. He loves the missions. He's a buttoned-up pilot who flies missions to pluck people from some of Colorado's highest peaks. None of the missions are easy, but he loves it. It's part of why he's with the Guard, not the Army. "We do a lot of training in the Army, in the military, but here this is a real mission that we perform quite often," Bentley said. En route, he's doing math problems. "We're doing fuel burn calculations. I'm looking for temperature, the pressure altitudes that we can assume are at the site, so I can start doing my power calculations," he said. Power in the Blackhawk and Lakota helicopters is precious. "You know they're 12, 13, 14,000 feet. We are at the edge of our power margins," he explains. Pilots will fly over a scene repeatedly before the rescue. All of the calculations have to add up. Winds in the high mountains can help or hurt. "If they're on the leeward side of a ridgeline and I have winds and I have power coming over the top, it could require more power than I have available to hover, so winds absolutely play a factor in whether I perform the hoist or not," Bentley said. On Little Bear Peak, the helicopter was able to get two rescue techs down to the injured man. Most of the helicopters are staffed by the Colorado Army National Guard. Rescue techs are the only civilians on the missions. They're Colorado Search and Rescue volunteers like Drew Hildner. "It is an exciting thing to do, and no one would say it isn't fun. But it also comes with its risks and difficulties," he said. "The relationship building between the different agencies, specifically between CSAR, the sheriff, the local teams, and then the rescue techs and the National Guard. And those relationships are very important." Among them all, there's discussion about the rising number of requests for hoist rescue missions. "I think that goes just hand in hand with the increasing number of calls for search and rescue in the mountains and backcountry," Hildner said. Sending a helicopter is a big decision with input from the local sheriffs, search and rescue teams, Colorado Army National Guard, and ultimately, the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center has to approve it. That takes time. There's a litmus test. Risk to life, limb, or vision of the person in need of rescue. Or extreme risk to ground-based rescuers. The rising number of requests may simply be about greater awareness of the resources available, Hildner says. Some people are also asking for helicopters. "We've certainly had people that were trying to call a helicopter because they were tired or didn't have life-threatening injuries or were frustrated with how quick the response (of ground rescuers) was," Hildner said. "I think that just comes with the lack of knowledge of how rescue works, because it takes hours for us to get to you." "So between the time that someone gets injured and a helicopter is overhead and starting to perform the rescue is anywhere from three-and-a-half to six hours," Hildner explained. People should be prepared to wait that long, he added. "We're not a quick reaction force. Right, so it's not like medevac; go to war, we launch within fifteen minutes, we're already staged, ready to go," Bentley, the pilot, said. "We're all driving from our homes." There's a realization that more missions mean more risk. Neither Hildner nor Bentley is concerned that they're overwhelmed. They believe the heroic rescues are being handled safely, and difficult decisions about not flying are still being made. When Bentley and other Army National Guard crew members get called in, they don't immediately lift off: "We've got to get in and pre-flight the aircraft and make sure everything's working, get all of our gear, and then we launch." They'll pick up the rescue techs. Sometimes they'll let some people off the aircraft if they need to reduce weight. Sometimes they burn off fuel. Everyone working on the rescue knows about the calculations Bentley is going through. "If the rescue techs hear me say 'I can only give you 10, 15 minutes, they'll do it within 10, 15 minutes, and we don't have any issues there," he said. On Little Bear Peak, they were able to lower two rescue techs. The techs put the injured man in what's called a "stable flight bag." The hoist operator, at one point, had about 270 feet of cable out, Bentley said. He was overhead, but in recent years, helicopters have hovered less, a change in tactics under the current Colorado Army National Guard leadership. It's harder to maintain a hover than keep moving. "Instead of kind of coming over and holding a hover for minutes at a time where you don't have as good a flight profile, so higher risk from a flight standpoint, and also kind of all that rotor wash potentially causing rockfall events or increased danger for people on the ground," Bentley said of the reasons. The techs clipped the basket in, and a tech and the victim lifted off. Bentley pulled away as the hoist operator lifted. They met a medical helicopter below and delivered the patient, who was flown to a hospital. No further information on the man's condition was available Friday.
CBS News
7 hours ago
- CBS News
Bodies of missing paddleboarder and dog recovered from Colorado's Eleven Mile Reservoir
The bodies of a missing paddleboarder and a dog were recovered from Eleven Mile Reservoir in the southern portion of Colorado's Park County overnight after wildlife officials say a strong wind blew a group of paddleboarders into the water. The group was out paddleboarding on the reservoir around 1 p.m. when they were knocked into the water, according to Colorado Parks and Recreation. One person who was wearing a life jacket swam to shore, while another who was wearing a life jacket and tethered to their board was rescued by CPW rangers soon after. But the third paddleboarder wasn't wearing a life jacket or secured to their paddleboard, and an 11-hour search ensued. Around midnight, officials from CPW, Harstel Fire, and the Park County Sheriff's Office found the paddleboarder's body and that of a dog that was with the group. The Park County Coroner will identify the victim, CPW said. "CPW strongly encourages recreationists to wear a life jacket while boating, kayaking, paddleboarding and swimming in Colorado," the agency said in a statement Saturday morning. "Weather conditions can change quickly at the park with sudden, strong wind gusts, and visitors are encouraged to check weather forecasts before heading outdoors." Eleven Mile Reservoir is the second largest reservoir in Denver Water's system and one of the largest bodies of water east of the Continental Divide.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Council's plea to residents with 'devastating' flooding impacts
Monmouthshire County Council is inviting views on its draft Local Flood Risk Management Strategy. The public consultation aims to gather feedback from residents, businesses, and stakeholders to help shape the county's approach to managing flood risks from surface water, groundwater, and ordinary watercourses. Councillor Catrin Maby, cabinet member for climate change and the environment, said: "We know that flooding can have devastating impacts on people's lives and livelihoods. "This consultation is a vital step in ensuring our flood risk strategy reflects the needs and experiences of our communities. "We want to hear from as many people as possible." The draft strategy builds on the council's original 2013 plan and the 2016 Flood Risk Management Plan, both of which have guided flood management efforts to date. It also takes into account updated national guidance from the Welsh Government, new legislation, and lessons learned from recent major flood events. The revised strategy will guide flood risk management for the next six years. The consultation is available through the council's engagement platform, Let's Talk Monmouthshire. People can review the proposed strategy and complete a short survey by Friday, September 26, 2025. Paper copies are also available at community hubs. The council is also hosting drop-in sessions in August and September, where residents can speak directly with officers about the draft strategy. Details on session locations, dates, and times can be found on the Let's Talk Monmouthshire website.
