Abersoch RNLI volunteer crew rescue seven paddleboarders caught in offshore wind
HM Coastguard paged the volunteer crew at 3.44pm Saturday 6 August 2022 after receiving a call from a passing yacht with an RNLI Llandudno crew member on board.
The crew of the yacht picked up the seven casualties, three adults and four children, who had been blown out to St Tudwal’s sound on the outgoing tide. They had been unable to make any headway due to the westerly offshore wind and were suffering from cold after having been in the water several times. The four children were equipped with lifejackets.
All seven casualties were transferred to the Atlantic 85 inshore lifeboat and immediately assessed by the volunteer crew who found them all to be suffering from cold but requiring no further medical attention.
The volunteer crew left the scene at 4.27pm and returned the casualties along with their equipment to Abersoch Main Beach slipway where they were handed over to the care of the Coastguard team.
The lifeboat returned to the lifeboat station at 4.40pm where it was then thoroughly washed down, refuelled and left ready for service by the shoreside volunteer crew.
Andy Gundy, Abersoch RNLI volunteer helm said, ‘Please follow the advice found on the RNLI website https://rnli.org/safety/choose-your-activity/stand-up-paddle-boarding . Check the weather forecast, tide times and avoid offshore wind conditions. Take a means of calling for help, wear a suitable personal flotation device and wherever possible go to supervised beaches.’ He added, ‘Our thanks go to all those who assisted during this incident’.
If you do get into difficulty, or spot someone else in trouble, call 999 or 112 and ask for the Coastguard.
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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