Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) lifeguards responded to a female surfer with a suspected spinal injury at Aberavon Beach on Thursday 8 July, ensuring her speedy evacuation by RAF helicopter to a local hospital.
The woman, aged 43, had suffered a freak accident when a breaking wave dumped her head first into hard sand under the water.
The lifeguards’ intervention was viewed by a large crowd who had gathered to see the Duke of Kent, president of the RNLI, visit Port Talbot lifeboat station as part of a royal visit to RNLI lifeboat stations in South West Wales.
The events unfolded just after 11.15am – with the royal visitor due to arrive at the station at 11.30am.
Nicky Thomas, a crew member at the local Port Talbot lifeboat station, surf instructor and member of the local surf lifesaving club, was first on scene after the woman had suffered the accident.
Seeing the woman was in distress, and complaining of a lot pain, Nicky assisted her out of the water using a spinal grip, while calling for help from nearby RNLI lifeguards – James Langdon, Tom John and James O’Leary.
The lifeguards immediately administered first aid before putting the woman on a spinal board and calling for a helicopter to come and airlift the casualty.
Coastguard and a paramedic had arrived at the scene by this stage to assist. The Coastguard members, along with lifeguard managers and supervisors had been waiting at the Port Talbot lifeboat station, directly overlooking the scene of the accident.
Following shortly afterwards, was the arrival of an RAF Chivenor Sea King helicopter on the beach.
By this time the Duke of Kent and RNLI chief executive Paul Bossier were upstairs in the lifeboat station meeting RNLI crew members and volunteers and catching a glimpse of the dramatic events unfolding on the beach below.
RNLI lifeguard divisional manager Neil Thomas, and area lifeguard supervisor Chris Vaughan, who were due to be presented to the Duke of Kent at that time, were both caught up in assisting the lifeguards on the beach during the incident.
However, they managed to see the casualty successfully airlifted to hospital before dashing over to take their place in the line-up just seconds before meeting the Duke of Kent.
