Four paddleboarders, including an eight-year-old child, have been rescued after being blown out to sea in rapidly changing conditions off the coast of North Wales.
The group—two teenagers, one adult and the child—were using two paddleboards at Llandanwg Beach, near Harlech in Gwynedd, on Thursday afternoon when strong offshore winds carried them away from shore.
The alarm was raised at around 16:15 BST when a family member watching from the beach became concerned for their safety. Within minutes, the situation escalated, prompting a major rescue response.
Volunteers from RNLI were called to what they described as a “rapidly evolving situation”. One of the paddleboarders was later found in the water suffering severely from the effects of cold water exposure, while the remaining three were clinging to a paddleboard some distance offshore.
Criccieth RNLI launched its Atlantic 85 lifeboat, The Frank Townley, to reach the group, while a Coastguard rescue helicopter from Caernarfon was also scrambled to assist.
As conditions worsened, a member of the public entered the sea in an attempt to help before rescuers arrived.
All four paddleboarders were brought to safety, along with the would-be rescuer. Because of the incoming tide and shifting sandbanks, the lifeboat was unable to return directly to shore and instead landed on a sandbank. The casualties were then walked ashore, with one person carried on a paddleboard due to their weakened condition.
Coastguard teams and RNLI crews said the incident highlighted how quickly conditions can change at sea, particularly when offshore winds are combined with spring tides.
The RNLI issued a wider warning ahead of the bank holiday weekend, reminding beachgoers that cold water remains a serious hazard even in mild weather.
The charity also urged people to check tide times using trusted sources such as the Met Office before heading to the coast, warning that spring tides can cause water levels to rise faster and further than expected, increasing the risk of being cut off or stranded.