Eight rescued from rip current in Wales

EIGHT people were rescued from the sea after being caught in a powerful rip current off a Welsh beach yesterday afternoon.

Six were taken to hospital, while two others were treated on the seafront after the incident.

Rescuers from the RNLI said the eight were found in the water by their lifeboat that had launched from Aberdovey, on the west coast of Wales.

The rescue mission began after a series of 999 calls from families at the popular beach, who had reported seeing three people in difficulty in the water.

However, when rescuers arrived they found eight people struggling against the current.

The coastguard said three people were taken to hospital by the coastguard helicopter, one by an air ambulance and two by road ambulance.

The ambulance service said it was called at 2.24pm, following a “beach incident” near Aberdovey.

It said the casualties were flown to Bronglais Hospital in Aberystwyth and Ysbyty Gwynedd in Bangor.

The harbour village, which is just off the Dyfi Estuary and set within Snowdonia National Park, is popular with tourists because of its long sandy beach and water sports.

Swimming is generally safe from the beach but it is notorious for strong currents near the estuary.

One local person who witnessed the rescue said: “The rip currents pull swimmers away from the beach out into the estuary.

“It is incredibly powerful and almost impossible to escape – we are just praying they reached the lifeboat in time.”

The resort of Aberdovey has been

‘It was bedlam, ambulances on the beach, resuscitation going on. People just let them get on with it’

popular for generations – the lifeboat station there has operated for nearly 140 years.

The lifeboat, called the Hugh Miles, is an inshore B-class Atlantic 85 type craft manned by a volunteer crew.

Karen Woods, 59, a witness, said: “It was bedlam – ambulances on the beach and resuscitation going on.

“People just tried to stay away to let them get on with it.

“It was just a normal day on the beach, bright with showers and a bit windy.

“We had no idea about the rip current until the lifeboat set off.”