Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) lifeguards in Pembrokeshire had a full and varied number of incidents to deal with on the beaches they patrol during the weekend.
A rip current at Whitesands Beach, near St David’s, on Sunday afternoon saw lifeguards needing to assist nine people who had become caught up in the rip.
More than 1,000 people were on the beach at the time, with a hundred or so in the water enjoying the warm weather and two foot dumping waves when the incident occurred.
RNLI lifeguards came immediately to the assistance of the nine who had all been bathing in the lifeguarded area but had been towed into the rip.
Two bathers were physically aided to shore by lifeguards while the other seven were directed out of the rip.
Earlier in the day Whitesands lifeguards gave medical assistance to a young child that had got into difficulties after taking in too much water while bathing in the sea.
The child needed oxygen and warming before being taken to hospital.
There were a number of other incidents on a busy weekend that saw Pembrokeshire’s RNLI lifeguards called into action.
Lifeguards at Tenby South beach were packing up for the day at 6pm on Sunday when they were called to assist a man suffering a heart attack just 20 yards off the beach on the path to the Kiln Park Holiday camp.
Lifeguards John Johnston and Rhys Hughes dealt with the incident, which eventually saw the casualty airlifted to hospital.
At Broad Haven on Saturday, four kayakers in distress brought back to shore by RNLI lifeguard supervisor Stuart Penfold on a rescue paddleboard and Little Haven inshore lifeboat while lifeguards at Newgale assisted with the communications for the rescue.
Newgale lifeguards also came to the assistance of a kayaker, in his 40s, who had been stung by a weaver fish while coming back into shore.
RNLI lifeguard Jack Middleton, who was patrolling at the water’s edge was notified by Newsurf surf shop that the man appeared to be suffering a severe allergic reaction.
Jack then drove on a quad bike to the scene where the casualty was struggling to breathe and in some distress. It was felt that the casualty’s condition was deteriorating and lifeguards further down the beach brought a trauma bag and defibrillator to attend to the casualty.
One lifeguard, ran from South Newgale to North Newgale – a distance of about 1.5 miles – with entonox to assist. Eventually the casualty taken by ambulance to Withybush by ambulance, given painkillers, and was later well enough to turn up again at the beach later in the day.
Another incident requiring RNLI lifeguard assistance at Newgale on the same day was when a windsurfer dropped sale and struggling to relaunch assisted by lifeguard Hannah Watkins-Rees.
Also at Newgale, a kitesurfer with a suspected broken angle was treated on the beach by lifeguards.
