Police have issued a warning to people not to take part in tombstoning or jumping from cliffs into the sea after an incident in Tenby on Saturday (April 10) evening where a 23-year-old male was pulled out of the water at Castle Beach, unconscious and not breathing.

Emergency services were called to the beach which sits alongside St Catherine’s Island at around 6.15 pm, where a man had got into difficulty after jumping off the cliff into the water.

On officers’ arrival, RNLI crew were at the scene and were administering CPR to the 23-year-old who was unconscious and not breathing. Fortunately, he regained consciousness shortly after and was taken to hospital for assessment, via air ambulance.

Inspector Gavin Howells said: “This incident highlights the serious danger posed by tombstoning or cliff jumping, and the potentially life-threatening consequences.

“We urge people not to take part in this sort of activity anywhere along our coastline, and not to put themselves or the emergency services at risk for a thrill.

“We would like to thank our colleagues at the RNLI for their swift response to this incident, and for their actions which most likely saved this man’s life.”

A spokesperson for Tenby RNLI said: Tenby’s RNLI inshore lifeboat was launched at around 6.25 pm on Saturday, following a report of somebody in difficulty in the sea off Castle Beach.

“The volunteer crew were quickly on scene and immediately saw the casualty, who had been pulled from the water and was on the rocks.

“The casualty was taken from the rocks and into the lifeboat, where Casualty Care was administered whilst the helmsman made best speed to the harbour.

“As the lifeboat was entering the harbour, an ambulance was arriving at the slipway. The crew then assisted the ambulance personnel in getting the casualty onto the stretcher and into the ambulance, before re-housing the lifeboat.”

Tenby resident Hannah Arentz posted on social media to say that guests staying at her holiday let in the town were first to see what had happened, and reacted speedily.

“Luckily my guests - first to see what was happening - are NHS, and one a paramedic, so were quick to react,” she explained.

“They called the lifeboat, and got to a defibrillator, with the nearest one on Simply Seafoods. Thankfully, Tenby now has lots of these lifesaving machines.

“The police interviewing them after said the lad was conscious in the air ambulance having previously been blue and unresponsive as his friend kept performing CPR on him.

“The friend who did CPR until the lifeboat crew arrived undoubtedly saved him as he was blue and unresponsive when pulled from sea.”