RNLI Fishguard lifeboats rescue three very lucky men in a boat

Three men; father and son and a friend; may owe their lives to the fact that members of the public in Fishguard and Dinas saw the two emergency flares which they fired from their capsized boat off Dinas Head and alerted the Coastguard.

As a result both the RNLI Fishguard all-weather (ALB) and inshore (ILB) lifeboats were launched at 6.15pm on Saturday evening (5 September) into Force 5/6 winds and challenging seas.

The ILB, with three volunteer crew on board, was first on scene approximately half a mile north east of Dinas Head after 10 minutes. They found two men in the water and hanging onto the gunwhale of the 16-foot sail boat The Hope, which was completely swamped and riding in a three-foot swell.

The lifeboatmen established that the third person had left the stricken boat and was making a foolhardy attempt to swim ashore. After quickly taking the two men onboard they went in search of the lone swimmer and eventually found him struggling in the water. After getting him onboard, all three men were transferred to the ALB, which rushed them back to the lifeboat station where an ambulance and paramedics were awaiting them to offer treatment.

The ALB then returned to the scene and assisted in the towing of the almost submerged boat to Cwm-yr-Eglwys, where it was brought ashore. Both lifeboats arrived back at base as darkness descended at 8pm. The three men recovered sufficiently to be returned back to Lower Town where they had earlier launched.

They probably owe their lives to the sharp-sighted members of the public who initiated the alarm, the RNLI crews, and the fishermen aboard the Tanamore, who stood-by during the operation and collected and delivered ashore the debris from the swamped boat.