Two missing divers located by Aberystwyth Lifeboat
On Monday the 30th of May the Aberystwyth Lifeboat Volunteers, were paged to reports of an overdue or missing vessel, before being re-tasked to find two overdue missing divers.
The crew began an extensive shore line search down the coast and then further out to sea on the return trip. Further information from shore side investigations identified that a 4 man rowing boat had returned to the harbour earlier that evening and with nothing found the lifeboat put the call down to a false alarm with good intent and were about to return to harbour when HM Coastguard informed the boat that a call had just come in from a dive boat, North of Aberystwyth, who's two divers were well overdue.
The lifeboat immediately headed to the last place the divers had been seen and started to carry out a search of the area just north of Constitution Hill. A coastguard rescue helicopter was also tasked to assist. Whilst searching one of the crew spotted a strobing light coming from the Wallog area approximately 3km North of their position. The crew headed for the light, making a fast but safe speed in case either of the divers were still in the water.
Once arriving on scene the crew located the two divers near to the beach, with the shallow rocky water, a crew member swam to the divers to check they were Ok and not suffering from any diving related medical issues. With both divers ok, it became clear they had become separated from their vessel due to the weather conditions. Both divers are experienced and followed their arranged plan, they also made sure to switch on their strobes so they could be seen. Both divers were beginning to get cold and they were taken aboard the lifeboat and back to the station to warm up. On the way back to the station the crew checked on the dive boat and skipper who had been very worried. The boat then followed them back to station.
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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 142,700 lives.
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