Coastguard helicopter spotted two casualties after light aircraft came down off west Wales coast

TWO people were taken to hospital after a light aircraft ditched into the sea off the west Wales coast on Friday evening.

New Quay RNLI said its all-weather lifeboat was launched at 6:06pm following a direct page from Milford Haven Coastguard.

The emergency followed reports that an aeroplane had come down in the sea approximately 10 miles north-west of Cemaes Head, with two people on board.

The New Quay all-weather lifeboat proceeded at best speed to the scene, alongside a Coastguard helicopter, RNLI Fishguard Lifeboat and RNLI Cardigan Lifeboat.

The two casualties were spotted by the Coastguard helicopter before being recovered by Cardigan Lifeboat.

They were then transferred to the larger New Quay all-weather lifeboat, where crew members were able to provide casualty care during the return to shore.

Both casualties were brought ashore at New Quay’s main pier and handed over to the Welsh Ambulance Service. They were then transferred to hospital.

Photographs from the incident show lifeboat crews operating in choppy sea conditions, an ambulance waiting at New Quay harbour, and the aircraft partially submerged in Cardigan Bay.

One image appears to show the aircraft floating with part of the fuselage, wings and tail visible above the water.

A navigation warning was later issued after a partially submerged microlight was reported adrift in Cardigan Bay.

The cause of the ditching has not yet been confirmed.

The aircraft’s departure point, intended destination and route have not yet been officially released.

New Quay RNLI confirmed that after the casualties were handed over, its all-weather lifeboat was recovered, rehoused and made ready for further service.

The incident involved a major multi-agency response from HM Coastguard, the Coastguard helicopter, New Quay RNLI, Fishguard RNLI, Cardigan RNLI and the Welsh Ambulance Service.

Aircraft accidents and serious incidents in the UK are reported to the Air Accidents Investigation Branch.

A special evening of music and celebration marked four decades of service by HOPE MS Therapy Centre, one of Pembrokeshire’s longest-serving self-funding charities.

THE ANNIVERSARY concert took place on Friday evening (June 26) at St Clement’s Church, Neyland, bringing together supporters, trustees, local councillors and members of the community to celebrate the charity’s 40th year.

Founded in 1986, HOPE MS Therapy Centre provides support and therapies for people living with multiple sclerosis and other neurological conditions across Pembrokeshire. The organisation has operated as a self-funding charity throughout its history, relying heavily on fundraising and community support.

Guests enjoyed performances from the Quaynotes Mixed Choir, along with acclaimed soloist Sarah Arthur, in what organisers described as an evening of music, song and thanksgiving.

Among those attending was Pembroke Mayor Jonathan Grimes, who praised the charity’s contribution to the county. He was joined by fellow county councillors and trustees including Simon Wright and Simon Hancock MBE.

Writing after the event, Cllr Grimes said: “Thank you to HOPE MS Therapy Centre for inviting me as Mayor of Pembroke to this evening’s concert to celebrate 40 years of service to Pembrokeshire.

“It was great to see my fellow county councillors and members of the trustee board as well as enjoying a fabulous performance from Quaynotes Mixed Choir and the fabulous soloist Sarah Arthur.

“Congratulations to HOPE MS Therapy Centre. I’m looking forward to being involved with the other events you have planned to celebrate 40 years.”

The concert is one of a series of events planned to mark the charity’s milestone anniversary year.

HOPE MS Therapy Centre continues to support people from across Pembrokeshire, providing therapies, advice and a vital social network for those affected by multiple sclerosis and related conditions.

Dinas Cross-born soldier was among those killed at the Battle of the Little Bighorn 150 years ago this week

A YOUNG man from a remote Pembrokeshire farm found himself at the centre of one of the most famous battles in American history after leaving Wales in search of a new life across the Atlantic.

This week marks 150 years since Sgt William Batine James, originally from Pencnwc Farm near Dinas Cross, was killed alongside General George Armstrong Custer at the Battle of the Little Bighorn.

The battle, fought on June 25 and 26, 1876, became known around the world as “Custer’s Last Stand” after the defeat of the US Army’s 7th Cavalry by a coalition of Lakota Sioux, Northern Cheyenne and Arapaho warriors.

Among the dead was a 27-year-old Welshman whose remarkable journey had begun on the north Pembrokeshire coast.

Born on March 3, 1849, James grew up in rural Pembrokeshire before emigrating to North America as a young man. Records show he arrived in Toronto in 1871 before later crossing into the United States and joining the US Army.

He eventually became a sergeant in Company E of the famed 7th Cavalry Regiment.

Just five years after leaving Canada, James found himself riding with Custer into what would become one of the most studied and debated military engagements in American history.

The battle took place in present-day Montana during the Great Sioux War. Custer’s force was overwhelmed after encountering a much larger Native American force than expected.

Every member of Custer’s immediate command was killed.

For many years, James’s family back in Pembrokeshire had little idea what had become of him. Communication across the Atlantic was slow and unreliable, and news often took weeks or months to reach rural communities.

His story only gradually emerged through letters he had sent home, helping relatives piece together the fate of the young man who had travelled thousands of miles from Dinas Cross to the American frontier.

Today, historians of both Welsh emigration and the American West continue to document the lives of those who fought at the Little Bighorn. James remains one of Pembrokeshire’s most unusual historical figures – a local farm boy whose life became entwined with one of the defining moments of the American frontier era.

One hundred and fifty years after his death, Sgt William Batine James remains a reminder of how far Welsh emigrants travelled in the nineteenth century, and how people from even the smallest communities could find themselves caught up in events that would echo through history.