Mumbles lifeboat rescues surfer in trouble

Mumbles inshore lifeboat was launched Friday afternoon amid the stormy seas which have battered South Wales over the last few days. Following reports of a surfer in difficulty near Langland Bay just before sunset Swansea Coastguard requested the launch to a man seen drifting out to see by witness’s walking the cliffs.

This is just one of many calls the RNLI have received over the past few days following the strong winds and heavy rain which have had such a dramatic effect on the UK.

James Bolter who was at the helm of the inshore lifeboat said:

‘We experienced very rough seas and luckily the people who reported the surfer in danger directed us to him via Swansea Coastguard, he’d been caught by a very strong riptide off Langland which had rapidly taken him almost a mile offshore.’

Tim Conway, RNLI Lifeboat Operations Manager at The Mumbles says:

‘These are just the kind of conditions this boat was designed for and its crew trained for, the 28 yr old casualty had endured strong tides and suffered cramp in very big surf. Within minutes we were able to locate him and return him safely to the beach at Langland.'

The RNLI has set a £150,000 fundraising target over the next three years towards a new £2.7m Tamar class boat for Mumbles. The Tamar lifeboats are the most advanced vessels operated by the RNLI, providing all weather rescue capabilities and will replace the current Tyne class rescue boat that currently serves Mumbles. The new boat will carry an inshore lifeboat onboard in addition to the one located on station.