Tenby’s all-weather lifeboat was requested to launch this afternoon shortly after 2.30 pm, after a report of a sixteen-year-old swimmer in difficulty in the Church Rock area. 

The volunteer crew were quickly on the water and made best speed to the scene some 11 miles West of Tenby. 

Whilst en route, they were informed that the swimmer had managed to get himself out of the water and was now lying on the beach at Box Bay. The inshore lifeboat was then also requested to launch to ferry crew into the shore to assist the casualty. 

Once at Box Bay several members of crew went ashore in the inshore lifeboat to assess and provide casualty care.

The casualty was very cold, a little disorientated and was suffering from the effects of water inhalation, but apart from that, he was otherwise uninjured.

He was warmed up and monitored whilst being moved around to the larger bay at Broadhaven where the Coastguard rescue helicopter was about to land. 

With the casualty now safely in the hands of the paramedic from the helicopter, the lifeboat crew returned to the boats and made the trip back to Tenby.