Tenby’s inshore and all-weather RNLI lifeboats experienced a busy 24 hours yesterday (26 April) with four separate launches.
From fishing boats requiring assistance to an elderly couple stranded on rocks, the drama unfolded at 7.15am and the volunteer crew were still in action at 5pm the same evening.
The first launch was for the all-weather RNLI lifeboat following reports of a fishing vessel with machinery failure off Pendine. The two crew on board were taken aboard the Tamar class lifeboat and their vessel was taken in tow to Saundersfoot. When recovering the crew from the vessel a second call came from another fishing vessel, that had also broken down a few miles east of Caldey. This vessel was taken in tow back to its mooring in Tenby.
Later during the afternoon, it was the inshore RNLI lifeboat, which was called into action. The first launch was at 4.50pm after a fisherman became stranded by the incoming tide near Wiseman’s Bridge, in between Saundersfoot and Amroth. The volunteer RNLI crew proceeded to the scene and returned him to the beach.
The most dramatic incident of the day came at 5pm, when the RNLI were asked to assist a couple in their 60s who had become cut off by the tide whilst walking between Monkstone and Waterwynch beaches. They climbed the cliff and were unable to get down a steep face to be rescued by the RNLI lifeboat.
Milford Haven Coastguard requested an RAF Sea king helicopter to recover them. The couple were both winched to safety and landed at the top of the cliff to be assisted by Tenby Coastguard rescue team, where they were returned home safe and well.
