Busy Bank Holiday Monday Afternoon for St Davids RNLI

The first tasking from HM Coastguard came at 1.21pm when the all-weather lifeboat was requested to launch for two Stand Up Paddle boarders reported in difficulty off Abereiddy. An initial call to 999 was made by members of the public on the coast path, but as lifeboat Norah Wortley made her way past St Davids Head the SUP boarders themselves phoned the Coastguard to ask for help.

After leaving Abereiddy beach, the SUP boarders found themselves battling against both tidal and weather conditions. Equipped with buoyancy aids and a means of calling for help, the two casualties were taken aboard the lifeboat for assessment. Both were in good health and returned by the y-boat to the shelter of the blue lagoon.

Only seven minutes after arrival back at St Davids lifeboat station at 3pm, the crew were requested to launch to reports of a dog over the cliff between Abereiddy and Porthgain. Inshore lifeboat Marian and Alan Clayton launched promptly, with RNLI volunteers able to locate the dog on rocks at the foot of cliffs thanks to the assistance of St Davids Coastguard Rescue Team. The dog appeared unharmed and was transferred to Coastguard volunteers waiting at Porthgain. St Davids inshore lifeboat returned to station at 3pm.

Judd Kohler, RNLI Deputy Coxswain for St Davids RNLI lifeboat, said: ‘It was a busy Bank Holiday afternoon for our volunteers but thankfully a successful outcome at both rescues. Some of our crew were scheduled to represent the station at St Davids Carnival but had to divert from the parade to these lifesaving launches.’

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For more information please telephone Simone Eade, RNLI volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer on 07799 804 922 or [email protected] or Claire Fitzpatrick-Smith, Regional Communications Manager on 07977 728 315 or [email protected] or contact the RNLI Press Office on 01202 336789.

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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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