Three RNLI lifeboat stations take part in multi agency search for missing divers
At 4:40pm Saturday, 14 November 2020, St Davids and Angle all-weather lifeboats and Little & Broad Haven inshore lifeboat launched to search for two missing divers from Martins Haven.
Also on scene searching were Dale Coastguard Rescue Team, Broad Haven Coastguard Rescue Team, Rescue 187 Helicopter, and Dyfed Powys Police.
The two divers were spotted by St Davids RNLI volunteer crew approximately a mile north of Skomer Island, in the dark, gale force 8 winds and large swells, after almost three hours in the water.
Casualty care was given on board St Davids all-weather lifeboat until the divers were returned to Martins Haven where they were met by the coastguards and ambulance, where one diver was being treated for early signs of hypothermia.
St Davids all-weather lifeboat Norah Wortley and crew then escorted Little & Broad Haven inshore lifeboat into Broad Haven beach as conditions were too poor to recover at Little Haven.
A spokesperson from St Davids Lifeboat Station says: ‘This was an incredible multi agency search in difficult conditions with a great outcome.’
The RNLI advise when diving:
- Plan your dives - Check the weather, tides and sea conditions.
- Be Spotted - Carry a surface marker buoy or delayed surface marker buoy
- Carry a means of calling for help - consider carrying a personal locator beacon or similar device in a waterproof canister.
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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Contacting the RNLI - public enquiries
Members of the public may contact the RNLI on 0300 300 9990 (UK) or 1800 991802 (Ireland) or by email.