Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) Lifeguards had an exceptionally busy weekend in the Swansea area, dealing with rescues, including a serious accident at Port Eynon, where a young woman was seriously injured after coming off a personal watercraft (PWC).
A combination of warm weather, cold seas and the crowds returning to the coast after a long, hard winter, saw increased activity on the beaches, which resulted in a number of incidents.
At Langland Bay, Swansea, four teenage girls were rescued by RNLI lifeguards, on Saturday (22 May), after attempting to swim from Rotherslade Bay to Langland at mid-tide, when they became exhausted and needed help.
Lifeguard Josh Webborn had been monitoring the situation and paddled out on a rescue board to assist one young girl, before returning to assist another girl who had drifted close to the rocks, while at the same time he supervised the other two girls to swim safely back to shore.
On Sunday (23 May), lifeguard Josh Webborn assisted two people who had been drifting out to sea in an inflatable past the point at Langland.
Also, on Sunday (23 May) RNLI lifeguards at Port Eynon were first on the scene to a young woman who had suffered severe abdominal injuries after falling off a personal watercraft at just before 2pm.
The woman, aged 20, had been riding pillion on the craft. The accident occurred in the boat lane at Port Eynon – some distance away from the lifeguarded area of Port Eynon beach, but close to where the lifeguard unit on the beach is located.
Lifeguards Darren Williams and Andrew Jones used their professional training to full effect to help deal with the massive bleeding that the woman was suffering as a result of the injury.
The lifeguards had also called the Wales Air Ambulance (Helimed 57), which arrived on scene at 2.20pm and airlifted the young woman to Morriston Hospital, Swansea.
RNLI lifeguard supervisor for Swansea and Neath and Port Talbot, Chris Vaughan, said the incidents over the weekend re-emphasised the need for people to be aware of vital safety messages when visiting the beach.
He said: ‘The lovely weather over the past few days inevitably attracted thousands of visitors to the beaches in Wales, but people should bear in mind our key safety advice ‘In particular, we always urge people to swim at a lifeguarded beach, where you are 500 times less likely to drown. ‘
‘Also, swimmers need to be aware that the water is still very cold and this can result in even experienced swimmers becoming tired more quickly, as well as suffering cramp.
‘Anyone using any sort of craft in the water needs to be safety conscious – especially when there is a marked increase in the number of people using the beach and going in the water.’
