Surfers ride to rescue of teen girl in Gower

A 16-YEAR-OLD girl was rescued by a group of surfers after being “washed off the rocks” at Blue Pool in Gower.

Burry Port RNLI crews were called to the area surrounding Blue Pool in Broughton Bay, near Llangennith, after reports a teenage girl was in trouble.

The inshore lifeboat was launched at 5.52pm on Thursday, August 2 and spotted the girl, who had already been “picked out of the water” by a group of surfers who escorted her back to shore.

Alun Wells, deputy launching authority at Burry Port RNLI, said: “She was washed off the rocks and her family were a bit further down away from her. There was a possibility that they were going to get stuck as well, but they didn’t.

“Luckily, the surfers were there as they’d come out from Broughton Bay and they kept her afloat.

“The danger is if you bash against the rocks or barnacles, you can rip yourself to pieces.”

The Atlantic 75 lifeboat was placed on standby on the beach in case a wider search was needed but it wasn’t required.

The coastguard team from Rhossili were also on hand and took over the care of the teenager as the Burry Port crew’s lifeboat was rehoused at 6.38pm.

A UK Coastguard spokesman said: “We had a call at around 5.40pm to say that a 16-year-old had been swimming with her father and brother near the Blue Pool area and became separated from them.

“She’d made it back to the caravan park and everyone was safe and well and we assisted her father and brother.

“The surfers stated that they helped her back.”