Three young people are being treated for shock after they were rescued from shores near Cardiff in a toy dinghy. Watch officer Arwyn Williams speaks to Sam Fleet from Real Radio Wales about the incident.
A 29-year-old woman and two men aged 19 and 21 were transferred to hospital last night after calls were made to the coastguard after cries for help were heard offshore of the Aberthaw Power Station near Cardiff - they were trying to get to Cardiff.
Swansea Coastguard reported they received multiple emergency calls at 7.45pm last night from members of the public and fishermen reporting three people in the water off Gilestone beach near Barry. Initially sightings reported a kayak, but further investigations yielded that the three young people had been out on a dinghy and had ended up in the water.
The coastguard made several mayday distress calls to local vessels in the area. The female in the group made it to shore unaided, and the ambulance service were called to assess the young woman.
Penarth lifeboat pulled the two remaining casualties from the water at 8.20pm and brought them ashore to be met by the coastguard team and paramedics. All three were reported to be fit and well, but were taken to University Hospital of Wales, Heath, in Cardiff to be treated for shock.
Swansea Coastguard Watch Manager Ivor Parry said:
"These young people are very lucky that members of the public heard their cries for help and dialled 999, as although there was no wind and relatively calm seas, hypothermia can still set in quite quickly, even during the summer months.
"Before any trip out on the water, always check the weather and the tides and ensure you are properly kitted out and equipped for your trip."
Audio source: Real Radio Wales
