PARENTS AND CHILDREN RESCUED AFTER CRAFT SINKS

A FAMILY of jetskiers had a brush with death off Anglesey but were saved by the crucial decisions they made.

By the time the parents and two young children were found by a RNLI crew, one jetski had sunk and the dad was at the point of exhaustion.

RNLI Holyhead said the dramatic rescue could easily have ended in tragedy.

All four family members were brought back to shore suffering from seasickness and shock, but Holyhead coxswain Tony Price said the outcome “could have been very different”.

HM Coastguard was alerted to the unfolding drama early on Wednesday afternoon when it received a report of a single jetski with problems near the Skerries lagoon area (pictured inset) some two miles offshore from Carmel Head, north-west Anglesey.

It had broken down and was suffering steering problems.

It soon emerged the family’s second jetski was also in trouble – it was still working but was running low on fuel.

Both were drifting north of the Skerries, a group of rocky islets.

En route, RNLI Holyhead’s all-weather lifeboat learned one of the jetskis was now sinking and two people were in the water.

As the mum who made the call was “extremely distressed”, there was initial confusion over the jetskis’ location.

“In the casualty’s heightened state of anxiety, it was at first thought the location in question might actually be South Stack, but this was soon cleared up,” said RNLI Holyhead.

“Critical information was then received that one of the jetskis had now sunk, and three people were on board the remaining jetski, and one person was in the water.”

On arrival at the scene, some two miles north of the Skerries, the lifeboat crew found one jetski almost totally submerged, with only its bow protruding from the water.

The mother and her two young children were on board the second jetski and the father was clinging to its stern.

RNLI Holyhead said: “The crew were informed that one of the children had only just come out of a cast for a broken leg, and the man who was clinging on to the jetski was extremely fatigued. “All four casualties were immediately taken to the safety of the all-weather lifeboat.” Some four minutes later, the HM Coastguard helicopter arrived but was not needed. Instead, an inshore lifeboat was launched to help transfer the shocked family back to Llanfwrog’s Sandy Beach (Porth Tywyn Mawr). Meanwhile, the all-weather lifeboat launched its daughter craft to retrieve the sunken jetski.

It was then attached to the second jetski and towed on a “punishing trip” through choppy seas back around Carmel Head.

Coxswain Tony Price said the fact that the jetskiers chose to wear lifejackets and opted to carry a VHF radio “probably saved their lives”.

Crucially, the mum made contact with the coastguard as soon as the family realised they were in trouble.

Tony said: “Without the correct means of calling for help, this situation would likely have ended in tragedy.

“The lady involved kept calm enough to call for assistance as soon as she could, and then Holyhead Coastguard got us on the water very quickly.

“We’re just glad all four people involved were saved, as the outcome could have been very different.

“It was a fantastic effort from all those involved, including the helicopter team.”