RNLI lifeguards rescue kayaker being washed onto rocks at Llangrannog

The rescue came just minutes after the charity’s lifeguards responded to a man suffering chest pains on the beach on what was a busy day for the team.

The kayaker had got into difficulty at about 3pm about 50m out on the left hand side of Llangrannog beach.

Lifeguards Sam Willmott, Toby Bath and Dafydd Nicholls spotted the kayak upside-down with its occupant in the water and struggling to get back in.

With a fresh breeze and swell of around a metre the man was getting washed against the rocks and had some grazes to his legs.

Lifeguard Toby immediately paddled out to him on a rescue board and managed to take the man and his kayak to a safe position before helping him return to shore with his craft.

Senior lifeguard Sam bandaged some of the man’s more serious grazes but luckily he needed no further treatment.

The water rescue happened minutes after lifeguards treated another man complaining of chest pains on the beach.The man, in his 30s, was also saying he had lost feeling in his hands.

Lifeguards carried out checks and followed first aid procedures for casualties presenting with chest pains. They called for an ambulance and treated the casualty until paramedics arrived to take over.

Michael Vincent, RNLI Lifeguard Supervisor, said: ‘These two incidents presented very difficult challenges for our lifeguards at Llangrannog on Monday (25 July) but their training in both first aid and water rescue scenarios meant they were well equipped to deal with them.’

RNLI lifeguards are providing a daily safety service on eight beaches in Ceredigion throughout the summer holidays. Lifeguards will be on duty every day between 10am and 6pm.   

Notes to editors:

Attached is a stock picture of an RNLI lifeguard. Credit RNLI

For more information please contact Chris Cousens, RNLI Press Officer, Wales and West, on 01745 585162 or 07748 265496 or by email on [email protected]

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