UK Coastguard tasked our volunteer crew after they had received a report from Porthcawl NCI that a large group of people were cut off by the tide at Dunraven Bay, Southerndown. The tide was still incoming with an hour and a half until high water. The crew had just finished washing down and refueling the lifeboats following the earlier service calls.
Both the relief D Class lifeboat, Super G II and relief Atlantic 85 lifeboat, Irene Cornford were launched on service and proceeded to the scene. The Atlantic 85 arrived on scene first and used a megaphone to converse with the people. The crew were able to establish that ten people in two separate groups were cut off and required assistance.
The D Class crew recovered the casualties off the pebbly beach up to three at a time and transferred them to the larger Atlantic 85 lifeboat. Given the numbers involved it took around 20 minutes to extract all the casualties.
The swell on the slipway at Southerndown meant it would be difficult to drop them ashore safely so all casualties were transferred to Ogmore By Sea and dropped ashore in the shelter of the rivermouth and met by our colleagues from Llantwit Major Coastguard.
To support our volunteer crew with a donation visit: Porthcawl RNLI Lifesavers’ Fund 2021.