Only the alertness and swift actions of a lifeguard, on his second day of duty at Coppet Beach, Saundersfoot, saved an inexperienced seaman from a possible watery grave. Two men from Lincoln, staying in Laugharne, towed their eight-foot tender to the beach where they launched the vessel. "Unfortunately, their seamanship didn't come up to scratch and within seconds one man in the dinghy was being swept out to sea, with no means of steering," said Angie Smith, DPRO, Milford Haven Coastguard. "He was quickly some half-a-mile out from the beach." Fortunately, the lifeguard saw his dilemma and with his paddle board swam out to him. An alert had already been sent to Milford Haven Coastguard and Tenby's RNLI inshore lifeboat and the coastguard rescue team were tasked to the scene. The inshore lifeboat crew arrived as the lifeguard was stabilising the vessel and calming the man. Both were taken aboard the lifeboat and with the boat in tow, all were taken back to the beach where the coastguards were waiting. "The man had no idea of the tides," added the spokeswoman. "He did have a life jacket on, but it was several sizes too small and the vessel was equipped with a broken paddle only and no rescue devices whatsoever. This man was very lucky." Coastguards are warning anyone going to sea to make sure of the tides and wind direction, to always wear a correct-sized life jacket, whenever in a vessel, however small, never go on the sea in a vessel without any means of steering, and learn some seamanship before attempting to sail the world!
