Serious incident at Barry Island

RNLI Barry Dock lifeboat was launched this afternoon following reports of people in difficulty in the water.

Three boys were swimming in good sea conditions. One got into difficulty and the others tried to help. Two managed to get ashore suffering with hypothermia.

Volunteers from the Barry Dock RNLI launched the Trent class lifeboat and its boarding boat to search the Whitmore Bay (Barry Island) area for the third boy, under the command of Coxswain Hugh Davies.

The boy was located by the lifeboat crew and was taken onto the RNLI boarding boat. Dean Caldwell, an ambulance service technician, who is one of the RNLI volunteer crew members, went aboard to provide first aid. The boy was transferred ashore where RNLI lifeboat crew Dean Caldwell, Josh Brown and Dave Brooks continued to provide first aid until an RAF helicopter arrived with three paramedics on board. The boy was airlifted to the University Hospital Wales. The other boys were transported by ambulance.