Police officers, coastguards and the RNLI were called to Llanelli beach after a man reported missing from hospital was spotted in the sea.
Dyfed-Powys Police were alerted to reports of a man missing from Prince Philip Hospital around 4pm on Tuesday, June 23.
Police later received reports of a man entering the water from the rocks at North Dock around 7:15pm.
Coastguards and lifeboats from Burry Port RNLI were launched to assist with the operation and were searching the Cefn Sidan area before the man was located at North Dock in Llanelli.
Officers made their way to the casualty who was in the water and placed him on a spinal board so he could be lifted over 20ft of rocky terrain before being returned to shore.
Burry Port RNLI said: "At 6.00pm we were tasked to assist Dyfed Powys Police in the search for a missing person, who was reported as being in the Pembrey/Cefn Sidan Beach area.
"Both lifeboats were launched and searched the area from Burry Port Harbour to the Cefn Sidan Beach Country Park entrance. When this area search was completed, both lifeboats began to make a search in the Burry Port to Llanelli area.
"The casualty was then sighted in the North Dock area, so both boats headed for Llanelli Beach, and on arrival assisted the Police, along with the CG teams, who had just located the casualty, and helped in returning him to safety on the shore.
"All units were stood down and returned to respective stations."
A spokesman for Dyfed-Powys Police said: "Shortly after 4pm on Tuesday police received a report of a missing man from Prince Philip Hospital.
"After an extensive search, at 7.15pm police received a report of the man entering the water from the rocks at North Dock
"Officers quickly made their way onto the rocks and rescued the man who was partially submerged.
"Officers were assisted by RNLI and Coastguard placing the man on a spinal board so he could be lifted over 20ft of rocky terrain to safety."
