RNLI lifeguards pulled a father and son from dangerous waters at a Pembrokeshire beach earlier this month after the pair were dragged out to sea by a powerful rip current.
The incident, which took place at approximately 1.15pm on Saturday, September 5, was the first in a series of emergencies that saw four people rescued.
Lifeguards from the Freshwater West RNLI team Jed and Fin were on duty when they noticed the father and son struggling against the current.
Without hesitation, both seized rescue boards and paddled out towards the pair.
Fin was first to reach the son, pulling him onto his board and ferrying him back to the safety of the shoreline.
Conditions at the time were treacherous, with substantial swell and strong currents making the operation particularly hazardous.
As the rescue of the father and son unfolded, senior beach lifeguard, Oly, and Willem, a lifeguard who was off duty but happened to be visiting the beach, deployed the rescue watercraft to provide additional support in the challenging surf.
Once both the father and son had been safely returned to dry land, attention turned to a new emergency roughly 200 metres south of the designated swimming zone marked by red and yellow flags.
Lifeguards Oly and Fin took part in the daring rescue
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RNLI
A kayaker had capsized and was stranded in the water beside their overturned vessel.
When Oly reached the kayaker’s location on the rescue watercraft, he encountered a far more perilous situation.
A spearfisher had become ensnared in their own spear line, which had snagged on a submerged reef.
The line had wound tightly around the person’s wrist, dragging them beneath the surface as waves crashed overhead, leaving them barely able to draw breath.
Lifeguard Jed rushed to the scene
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RNLI
Grasping the severity of the emergency, Oly dismounted the water craft and plunged into the sea himself.
Armed with a blunt-ended knife kept aboard the vessel specifically for situations involving fishing or kite lines, he submerged and sliced through the tangled line to free the trapped individual.
The stricken spearfisher was then hauled onto the craft’s sled and rushed back to the beach, where Jed took over to administer further care.
With the most critical casualty now ashore, Oly headed straight back out to sea, this time with Fin riding on the sled, to reach the kayaker who remained stranded in the water, with the pair successfully bringing them to land.
RNLI leadership warned beaches were no longer staffed full time
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RNLI
In total, the lifeguard team rescued four people in rapid succession during the incident, the father and son, the spearfisher, and the kayaker, averting what could have ended in tragedy.
Carl Amos, RNLI lifeguard supervisor, described the operation as “a remarkable team effort and a fitting example of the professionalism, skill, and dedication shown by our lifeguards throughout the 2026 season.”
He added: “Our lifeguards responded to multiple incidents in quick succession, helping four people and preventing what could have been a tragic outcome.
“In particular the actions of senior beach lifeguard Oly, who acted decisively to free and rescue a casualty in serious distress, demonstrate the level of training and commitment our teams bring to keeping beachgoers safe.”
Mr Amos urged the public to exercise caution now that the summer patrol season has concluded, noting that the majority of Welsh beaches are no longer staffed by lifeguards on a full-time basis.
He reminded beachgoers to dial 999 and request the Coastguard if they witness someone in difficulty and to remember the RNLI’s “Float to Live” guidance, tilting the head back, staying calm, and controlling breathing should they find themselves in trouble at sea.