Two Males Stranded on Rocks are Rescued
The weekend visit to Porthcawl saw two young men from the Newport area in desperate need of rescue. Porthcawl RNLI Lifeboat volunteers were paged to multiple reports of their plight when they became cut off on an outcrop of rocks at Newton Point.
HM Coastguard Agency requested the launch of our lifeboats at 15:43 after receiving multiple 999 calls. Waves were starting to break over the rock and the rescue was time critical before the rock would be covered by the incoming tide.
Porthcawl's D Class Lifeboat 'Jean Ryall' was manoeuvred between rocks in order to effect the rescue. A crewman climbed onto the rock in order to assist the casualties from the rock into the lifeboat. Once the casualties and the crewman were safely on board the lifeboat they were transferred back to Newton Beach where they were met by Porthcawl Coastguard team. The casualties were a little wet and shaken by their experience but otherwise fine and required no medical assistance.
Helmsman Dan Jones said, ‘Fortunately several people ashore raised the alarm when they did as the incoming tide was flooding and there are very dangerous currents and many submerged rocks at Newton Point. When we arrived on scene waves were already breaking near the top of the rock and within thirty minutes of the rescue the incoming tide had covered it'.
This was the second callout of the day. The earlier callout came following a 999 call to UK Coastguard Agency at 12.12 regarding a kayaker reported to be in difficulty at Ogmore Deeps. Both the RNLI Charity's lifeboats proceeded to the scene as they were in the process of recovering from exercise. On arriving on scene the Atlantic 85 lifeboat established that the kayaker in difficulty was nearly ashore, being assisted into the beach by another kayaker. It was confirmed no medical attention was required and the kayakers were met by members of Llantwit Major Coastguard team on the beach.
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The RNLI charity saves lives at sea. Its volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service around the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland coasts. The RNLI operates 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and more than 240 lifeguard units on beaches around the UK and Channel Islands. The RNLI is independent of Coastguard and government and depends on voluntary donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824, its lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved over 146,000 lives.
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