6 Dec 2010 - It was a busy day at the office yesterday for watchkeepers at Worms Head and Nells Point in South Wales. They alerted Swansea Coastguard to the plight of no less than 8 people, including surfers and walkers, who had got into difficulties during the course of two separate incidents having misjudged the local tides. Subsequent to the successful conclusion of the two incidents, the Maritime & Coastguard Agency put out the following News Release.
NEWS RELEASE
Duty NoticeSWANSEA COASTGUARD ALERTED TO VARIOUS PEOPLE CUT OFF BY THE TIDE
At 2.00 pm this afternoon Swansea Coastguard were alerted by the National Coastwatch Institution (NCI) to two people cut off at Worms Head, by Bell Inner Island, on the Gower Peninsula in South Wales.
The island is joined to the mainland by a rocky causeway and features a large flat-topped 'Inner Head', towards a natural rock bridge called 'Devil's Bridge', a 'Low Neck' leading further out to the 'Outer Head'. The headland is one mile long and the highest point is approximately 150 feet.
Upon further investigation it turned out that in total 7 people; 5 of them local surfers, in their 20s, were stranded on the Island having ‘missed’ or misjudged the tide. One surfer had a gash on his upper leg, and needed medical attention, although not hospital treatment
The Rhossili Coastguard Rescue Team were turned out, and the Horton RNLI inshore lifeboat was requested to launch. Amongst the crew of the lifeboat is a doctor who attended on the man with the leg injury.
Bernie Kemble, Duty Watch Manager at Swansea Coastguard said
“Fortunately the weather was clear today with good visibility which aided the lifeboat crew. And our thanks are due to the NCI team for spotting the two distressed individuals initially".
“The rocky, jagged causeway leading out to the 'Worm' is only exposed for two and a half hours before and after low tide, so walkers should always carefully check the tide times before they set off over the causeway. Being trapped on Worm's Head for half the day, waiting for low tide again, is both inconvenient and desolate to say the least, but so easily done by the inexperienced. Even the young Dylan Thomas made the mistake of falling asleep on the Inner Head and missing his tide.”
Later on this afternoon, Swansea Coastguard were again called this time by the NCI lookout at Nells Point to report that they could see three people, including two fishermen in dry suits by the waters edge and who appeared to be cut off. The single individual was in normal outer clothing. After investigation it was discovered that this 30 year old male had tried to cross but was unable to by the depth and strength of the water and had returned to the shoreline. The two fishermen who were in no hurry to leave the Point had been attempting to pull him to land. He was now exceptionally cold although wrapped in a blanket, and needed urgent medical attention.
The Penarth Coastguard Rescue Team and RNLI Penarth inshore lifeboat were both sent to the scene and given the temperature of the water a rescue helicopter R 169 was also scrambled although this was stood down shortly afterwards whilst a land ambulance was sent the area. After attention at the shoreline by a paramedic the Cardiff based man was taken to hospital by ambulance.
Bernie Kemble added
“Autumn and winter are the focus of attention for most anglers here; whiting are soon followed by cod. Perched on a peninsula west of Barry harbour, an elaborate footpath has been constructed which runs right around the headland, offering easy access and comfortable fishing".
“Fishermen are generally sheltered from westerly winds here, but it gets rough when the wind blows from the east. They can fish for about three hours either side of high water, with the ebb tide often being the most productive, especially for cod. The front and south-west corner are rated for cod and conger eels over high water and low but the tide can be fierce. A path leads down to the beach. Your retreat back across the bay will be cut off for a few hours over high water, unless you walk right around the point. It would appear the man who was caught out had not realised the strength of the tides at this time.”
