Volunteer crew launched for searches, police incidents, a medical evacuation and a grounded yacht during a busy spell from mid-February to early April

ANGLE RNLI volunteers were called out to a series of incidents across the Milford Haven Waterway in recent weeks, including missing person searches, a medical evacuation and assistance to vessels in difficulty.

The first of the incidents took place late on Sunday, February 16, when the crew was paged at 11:04pm to assist St Govan’s Coastguard Rescue Team and Dyfed-Powys Police with a missing person search at Cleddau Reach, Llanion. The launch was later cancelled after the casualty was located safe and well by police.

In the early hours of Tuesday, March 11, at 1:12am, the lifeboat crew was tasked alongside Dale Coastguard Rescue Team to assist with an ongoing police incident at Hakin Point, Milford Haven. The lifeboat launched and stood by within the marina lock until the incident was safely concluded. The crew was back alongside and ready for service again by 2:00am.

A further launch followed on Friday, March 21, at 1:09pm, when the crew was requested to assist a seven-metre motor vessel with three people on board suffering machinery failure off the Behar Wreck in Dale Roads.

Once on scene, the volunteer crew assessed the situation and decided the safest course of action was to establish a tow. The vessel was taken under tow before the line was handed over off Hobbs Point to a workboat from Rudders Boatyard for the remainder of the journey back to the slipway. With no further assistance required, the lifeboat returned to station and was ready for service again by 3:30pm.

Just after midnight on Tuesday, April 1, at 1:15am, Angle RNLI was again paged to help Dale Coastguard Rescue Team and Dyfed-Powys Police, this time in the search for a despondent woman in the Milford Haven area. As the crew prepared to launch, the casualty was found safe and well by police and the launch was cancelled.

Later the same day, at 9:52pm, the lifeboat was requested to assist with a medical evacuation after reports of a man suffering chest pains on board a harbour tug moored off South Hook.

A Port Authority pilot boat had already transferred the casualty from the vessel and was making for its jetty. The lifeboat rendezvoused with the pilot vessel, where casualty care-trained crew members boarded. Supported by Dale Coastguard Rescue Team, the man was assessed and extracted from the vessel before being handed into the care of colleagues for transport to hospital.

The lifeboat was back alongside her berth and ready for service again by 11:30pm.

Most recently, on Monday, April 6, at 1:05pm, the crew was tasked to assist a fourteen-ton yacht with one person on board which had run aground and was listing near Mill Bay.

With the tide still ebbing, the immediate concern was the welfare of the lone skipper. The lifeboat launched shortly afterwards and located the yacht around twenty minutes later. With the vessel by then listing significantly, the crew deployed the inflatable Y boat to speak with the skipper and discuss the options.

The owner, who was understandably reluctant to leave the yacht, was helped to deploy an anchor. With no further assistance required, and the skipper content to remain on board and await the returning tide, the crew was stood down. The lifeboat was back alongside and ready for further service by 3:00pm.

Missing vessel recovered near shore after coastguard confirms it had been reported lost days earlier

ST DAVIDS RNLI launched on Easter Monday after an upturned kayak was spotted drifting east of Solva Harbour.

The all-weather lifeboat, Norah Wortley, was requested to launch at 11:04am on Monday (Apr 6) after the vessel was seen floating in the water.

Heading into a strong south-easterly wind, the Tamar-class lifeboat made directly for Aber-west. Members of HM Coastguard St Davids Cliff Rescue Team assisted from the clifftop, helping to guide the volunteer crew to the kayak.

As the vessel was lying close to the shore, the lifeboat’s daughter boat was launched to recover it and bring it aboard the Norah Wortley.

Photographs of the kayak were then sent to HM Coastguard in Milford Haven, which confirmed it had been reported missing from Porthclais several days earlier.

That meant there was no need for a shoreline search for the owner.

The kayak was taken to Solva Harbour, where it was handed over to HM Coastguard and secured on the quay wall. The lifeboat returned to station at about 12:30pm.

St Davids RNLI Coxswain Will Chant said: “The timely reporting of a missing kayak by the owner potentially saved an unnecessary search operation. Thank you to members of St Davids Coastguard team for their assistance during this shout.”

Picture caption:

Easter Monday shout: St Davids RNLI recovers a drifting kayak off Solva after it was reported missing days earlier (Pics: RNLI)

Founder of the Grumpy Dumpty Foundation says clearer labelling and an opt-out from alcohol advertising could help people protect their recovery

A WELSH mental health and addiction campaigner has launched two parliamentary petitions aimed at helping people in recovery avoid unexpected alcohol exposure and relentless online triggers.

Gareth Clement, founder of the Grumpy Dumpty Foundation, said the proposals come directly from his own lived experience of addiction, recovery and mental health struggle. He described himself as a father of three who is now nearly four years sober after battling alcoholism and surviving a suicide attempt.

The first petition calls for all food containing alcohol to be clearly labelled. Clement says cooking does not always remove all alcohol and argues that even trace exposure can be distressing for some people in recovery.

The second petition calls for retailers, advertisers and digital platforms to provide an opt-out from online alcohol advertising and alcohol product visibility, including on shopping and delivery apps.

Clement said the campaign is not about restricting other people’s choices, but about giving those in recovery more control over what they are exposed to.

He said hidden alcohol in food and the constant visibility of alcohol products online can be deeply unhelpful for people trying to rebuild their lives.

For many people, recovery is not simply about avoiding a drink. It can also mean managing triggers, cravings and distress in everyday situations that others may barely notice.

The petitions are still in their early stages, but Clement hopes they will start a wider conversation about how addiction is understood and how people in recovery are supported.

His wider work through the Grumpy Dumpty Foundation focuses on breaking stigma, encouraging openness and offering support rooted in lived experience.

Whether either proposal gains political backing remains to be seen, but the campaign raises questions that are likely to resonate with many families in Wales affected by alcohol harm, addiction and poor mental health.

At the very least, Clement believes people in recovery deserve clearer information, fewer unnecessary triggers and a fairer chance of staying well.