Abersoch RNLI called to assist paddleboarder caught in offshore wind.
The volunteer crew were paged by HM Coastguard at 5.37pm on Thursday 22nd May following two reports of a paddleboarder who appeared to be struggling to return to Abersoch main beach due to offshore winds.
HM Coastguard received two separate 999 calls from members of the public on Thursday evening with concerns about the safety of a paddleboarder off Abersoch main beach. At 5.45pm the Atlantic 85 inshore lifeboat was launched and arrived on the scene within five minutes.
The adult male casualty with no means of calling for help or floatation device, had been in the water for around 30 minutes. He was quickly located and the volunteer crew immediately carried out casualty care to assess him for signs of hypothermia due to the length of time he had spent in the water. The casualty was returned to the main beach safe and well and the lifeboat left the scene at 6.00pm.
Elissa Williams, Abersoch RNLI volunteer helm, said ‘Whenever you are heading out onto the water please ensure that you have a suitable means of calling for help that you can easily reach should you need it and make sure that you are wearing suitable clothing for the forecasted conditions including a personal flotation device.’ She added, ‘Avoid offshore winds as they can easily tire you quickly when trying to return to shore.’
Elissa also mentioned that this was volunteer trainee crew member Jo Jones’ first rescue after successfully completing a tier of her training that now allows her to go on call outs.
The crew returned to the station at 6.05pm where the lifeboat was washed down, refuelled and left ready for service by the volunteer shore crew.
If you do get into difficulty, or spot someone else who appears to be in trouble, don’t hesitate and call 999 or 112 and ask for the Coastguard.
Key facts about the RNLI
The RNLI is the charity that 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 146,700 lives.
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Contacting the RNLI - public enquiries
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