A swimmer who got into difficulties off Tenby's South Beach was rescued by the town's inshore lifeboat on Saturday morning.
The alarm was raised at approximately 11.45 am by the swimmer's wife who became concerned for the safety of her husband who she thought was in trouble in the water near the entrance to Kiln Park.
The coastguard team responded, the ILB was launched and a rescue helicopter from RAF Chivenor was scrambled.
The ILB crew located the swimmer, who was from Pontypool, and escorted him ashore where he was interviewed by the coastguards.
The man, who was 31, denied being in trouble in the water, but accepted he had gone out too far and as a result had started to drift with the ebbing tide.
Once he realised the tide was against him, the swimmer had tried to return to the shore.