Five people are rescued after their boat overturns
FIVE people were rescued after a boat overturned off the coast of Anglesey yesterday. The alarm was raised at around 6pm after a member of the public spotted the overturned vessel and the group in difficulty near Penrhos, the North Wales Live website reported.
The three volunteer RNLI crew members discovered five people in the water, and, realising they were in trouble, another sailor had also headed out to help.
Those in the overturned vessel had been in the water for around 40 minutes.
ILB helm Dave Roberts praised the member of the public who raised the initial alarm and the owner of the boat who assisted the casualties.
He said on RNLI Holyhead’ Facebook page: “The member of the public who spotted the upturned vessel did exactly the right thing in calling 999. Without that call, who knows what might have happened? The boat owner headed straight out to help, and there’s no doubt that without those two people, things might have turned out very differently.”
He added: “Sea conditions were very challenging, and in that kind of weather it can be very difficult to spot someone in the water. The five people concerned were all wearing the correct lifejackets, and so that too was a factor in this situation not ending up in tragedy.”
A spokeswoman for the RNLI said: “The casualties had been in the sea for 40 minutes, and three had swallowed a substantial amount of seawater. They were immediately taken aboard the lifeboat and checked over.
“All were feeling the effects of being in the water, and one of the casualties was feeling particularly unwell, so an ambulance was requested.”
She continued: “The local cliff rescue team were on scene and took over the care of the casualties while they waited for the ambulance.”