Emergency services descend on Welsh beach as witness hears screams for help
One eyewitness said she heard screams for help coming from people in the water off Ogmore on Saturday night
There was a heavy emergency services presence at Ogmore beach on Saturday night
(Image: Mark Lewis )
A heavy emergency services presence descended on a beach in south Wales on Saturday evening. Eyewitnesses reported South Wales Police officers, the Welsh Ambulance Service, the coastguard and the RNLI were all in attendance at Ogmore beach in the Vale of Glamorgan.
Footage seen by WalesOnline showed a helicopter circling the coast at Ogmore above emergency vehicles at the beach which had flashing lights on.
Eyewitnesses reported people had been washed out to sea sparking the heavy emergency services presence. One eyewitness said she heard someone who she believed had come off a vehicle in the sea shouting for help.
It later emerged that two swimmers had got into difficulty in the water and are now ashore. Lifeboats have since headed back to station having also had to attend two paddleboarders in similar difficulty off Newton.
It comes two days after Porthcawl's RNLI volunteer crew had to launch lifeboats to five separate incidents during the afternoon and evening of Thursday, July 10. Four of the launches were to people using stand up paddleboards (SUP's).
Launch authority Mike Cinderby said: "Nearly all of the launches on Thursday were to paddleboarders. At least three of those launches were to paddleboarders who were struggling in strong tidal currents and were taken to safety onboard our lifeboats.
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"If you're visiting the coast check conditions and tide times before you go using a trusted online source, such as the Met Office. The Bristol Channel has the second largest tidal range in the world.
"We are currently experiencing spring tides which increases the speed the tide comes in and causes fast moving tidal currents. This puts the public at great risk of being cut off or getting into difficulty in fast moving tidal currents."
On Saturday, which at 33.1C in places was the hottest day in Wales on record since July 2022, the RNLI issued advice to people getting in the water.
Article continues below
They reminded swimmers of the "float to live" technique which saves lives and which involves the following:
Tilt your head back with your ears submerged
Relax, breathe normally, and use gentle movements with your hands and legs to stay afloat
Don't worry if your legs sink, we all float differently
Once you've calmed your breathing and are stable, call for help or swim to safety if you can
If you see someone else in trouble in the water, remember: Call, Tell, Throw
Call 999 or 112 and ask for the coastguard
Tell them to float on their back
Throw them something that floats, such as a life ring or inflatable
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