Tenby RNLI have experienced a busy weekend... The Haydn Miller was launched at 9.30am on Friday, March 6 after being tasked to assist in a multi-agency search off Rhossili, 16 miles east of Tenby. The volunteer crew made best speed to the area, arriving some 40 minutes later, where they were joined by The Mumbles Lifeboat RNLI, Horton and Port Eynon RNLI and Burry Port RNLI lifeboat in searching an area south of Worm’s Head. Conditions on scene were difficult at times, with a large breaking swell in places. While the larger Tenby and Mumbles lifeboats searched offshore, Burry Port and Horton and Port Eynon lifeboats searched closer to shore, with Coastguard and Police teams searching the shoreline and a Coastguard helicopter and plane searched from the air. With the area saturated with assets and thoroughly searched and with nothing found, the lifeboat was stood down to return to station, arriving back in Tenby shortly before 3.30pm. Tenby RNLI were back in action again that evening, after a request from Dyfed Powys Police to assist in the search for a missing person. Both boats were tasked to search the bays and coves between Giltar and Freshwater East, with searchlights, night vision and thermal imaging cameras, whilst a Coastguard rescue helicopter searched from above and Coastguard and Police teams searched ashore. With the sea based search area thoroughly covered by both lifeboat and helicopter and with nobody found, the Lifeboats were stood down to return to station, arriving at 8.45pm.
The following morning (Saturday, March 7) both lifeboats were requested to launch at 9.10am, to assist with the evacuation of a person who had been found on the coast path at Swanlake Bay, and was thought to be suffering from hypothermia. The boats were quickly on the water and the volunteer crews made best speed towards Swanlake, 7.5 miles to the west of Tenby, arriving just 18 minutes later. With the all-weather lifeboat standing off and providing safety cover, the inshore lifeboat helm manoeuvred the smaller boat in through the breaking surf and dropped two crew members ashore with medical equipment to join members of HM Coastguard Tenby, HM Coastguard St Govans and Dyfed-Powys Police officers who had also arrived. They were soon joined by Paramedics from the Welsh Ambulance Services University NHS Trust. Once the casualty was stabilised, it was decided that due to the size of the swell on the beach making a sea extraction too dangerous and the nature of the access to the beach meaning carrying the casualty up to the ambulance would be extremely difficult, a Coastguard rescue helicopter was requested. Once on scene, the helicopter landed on the beach and the casualty was loaded, along with Paramedics and then dropped close to the ambulance on the headland above.
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