Penarth lifeboat crew last night raced to the rescue of three young people who were reported to be in the sea just off Aberthaw Beach.
The coastguard had received many calls from fishermen and members of the public around Aberthaw Power Station, with reports of three people – two young men and one young woman – in the water about a mile offshore.
The crew received the call from the Coastguard just after 8.30 pm and, because the boat was already launched and out exercising off Penarth Beach, was able to reach the stricken trio in less than 15 minutes.
Graeme Jones, who helmed Penarth’s Atlantic 85 lifeboat last night said:
‘As we approached, we could see a blow up dingy and two people frantically waving to us from the sea. One woman had left the dingy and had swum to shore’.
Graeme continued:
‘One of our crew members, Jim Mayer, jumped into the sea and between him and the other crew – Sarah Mayer and Dan Forbes, we managed to get the two remaining casualties into the lifeboat. We then took them as quickly as possible to shore where we handed them over to paramedics’.
Graeme was well placed to assess the medical condition of the two rescued men, as in addition to his volunteer role with the RNLI, he’s a trained paramedic with the Welsh Ambulance Service, and could quickly update his ambulance colleagues on shore.
Graeme added:
‘These two young men were lucky that we were able to rescue them so quickly, as when we got to them, they were already in the early stages of hypothermia. They were dressed in swimming costumes and had no lifejackets at all’.
‘It’s vital to be aware of the change in the tides in the Bristol Channel, which can be treacherous and unpredictable, even in the summer, and it’s also important to make sure you have all the necessary safety equipment before setting off to sea’.
