They had water in their lungs and were take to hospital after one appeared to be unresponsive in the water
18:33, 29 Aug 2025Updated 18:53, 29 Aug 2025
(Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)
Two teenagers were saved from drowning after stormy weather hit the Welsh coast as a result of Hurricane Erin. On Tuesday, August 27 a number of beaches along the west Wales coast in Pembrokeshire were deemed unsafe due to big surf and wind heightening the risk of rip currents.
A group of four teenagers were advised not to enter the water when visiting the Paragon, a stretch of beach that connects Castle Beach and South Beach in Tenby, however two were later seen struggling in the water.
The RNLI lifeguard that was patrolling the area walked 200m to reach the group warning them against entering the water that had a red and yellow flagged swim zone set up due to the big surf and strong rip currents.
Not long after returning to their post, the lifeguard spotted that two of the teenagers had entered the water and appeared to be struggling. For the biggest stories in Wales first, sign up to our daily newsletter here
As two lifeguards approached to rescue the pair they heard one of them shouting, “Help me please, I don’t want to die!”.
The second teenager needing rescuing had been submerged under water for over two minutes and looked unresponsive as they had been dragged 150m out to sea.
The teens were returned to the shore where one of the casualties was administered oxygen as they were struggling to breathe.
He was then strapped to a rescue board and carried to nearby Tenby RNLI Inshore Lifeboat Station to meet the ambulance.
The paramedics confirmed that both casualties had water on the lungs and took them to hospital for further assessment.
Carl Amos and his team saved the pair from the water on Tuesday (Image: RNLI/Carl Amos)
One of the lifeguards that entered the water to save both casualties, Carl Amos said: “We knew we needed to get to the unresponsive casualty as soon as possible. I swam out with fins and a rescue tube, whilst my colleague Liam Nash paddled out on a rescue board.
“The sets were rolling in heavily which made it tough to reach the casualties. I clipped the first casualty into the rescue tube and Liam got the unresponsive casualty onto his board.
“This incident is an example of why we give preventative advice and encourage people to swim between the red and yellow flags. The conditions on Tuesday were challenging due to the big waves and strong currents.
“Had we not been there to help on Tuesday, the outcome could’ve been very different for the casualties.”
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