Mumbles lifeboat crew search and aid surfer.
2 calls in one day for both boats
Just after 12.30 pm on Saturday the volunteer crew of the Mumbles lifeboat were called by UK Coastguard at Milford Haven to assist the Coastguard rescue team in Swansea following the trigger of an emergency EPIRB transponder. Both Mumbles all weather and inshore lifeboats searched an area across Swansea Bay as Coastguard teams scanned the beach areas but nothing was found.
Tim Conway Lifeboat Operations Manager said ‘The EPIRB is an emergency rescue beacon which automatically triggers when it hits the water. The signal was located as originating from somewhere in the area of the bay but with only a short burst of transmission before it shut down and with no debris found in the area we can only assume that it was an accidental activation’.
Immediately after the search was concluded both boats were tasked to assist the UK Coastguard Rescue team with an injured surfer at Caswell bay. The Coxswain placed 3 crew on the beach, the surfer had injured his neck and was in considerable pain. The crew stayed with the casualty until an ambulance arrived to take him to Morriston hospital.
Lifeboat Helm James Rice said ‘The surfer had done the right thing following a neck compression while surfing. As soon as he suspected a spinal injury he called the Coastguard on 999. There was quite a wait for the ambulance and thankfully between the Coastguard team, crew and some beach lifeguards we kept him stable until the ambulance arrived’.
Key facts about the RNLI
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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