News

Safety advice issued as lifeguard season ends

Published

9 years ago

September 22, 2015

Tom Sinclair

RNLI lifeguards: Daily safety services have ended on a majority of
beaches throughout the county

LAST Sunday (Sept 6) was the last day of the summer where lifeguards were on duty at a number of beaches in the county.

RNLI lifeguards have been on duty at Amroth, Saundersfoot, Tenby North, Tenby South, Tenby Castle, Freshwater West, Broad Haven, Nolton Haven, Newgale South, Newgale North, Newport and Poppit Sands beaches.

Safety patrols on Pendine and Pembrey in Carmarthenshire will also finish on Sunday.

Lifeguards will continue providing a safety service between 10am and 6pm on weekends on Whitesands beach until Sunday, September 27.

Despite some inclement weather over the summer there have been high numbers of visitors to the county’s beaches and the RNLI lifeguards have provided safety advice and assistance to thousands of beachgoers.

They have also been involved in a variety of rescues and incidents, from saving the lives of people caught in rip currents to helping rescue a Labrador swimming 800m off shore from Tenby towards Caldey Island.

The lifeguards, which carry a range of first aid equipment, including oxygen, spinal boards, a defibrillator, drugs to treat a range of acute conditions, plastic airways, a burns kit and fracture straps, also dealt with a high number of first aid incidents.

RNLI Lifeguard Manager Phil Davies said: “I would like to thank all the lifeguards who once again provided a first class safety service on the county’s beaches this summer.

“They have shown commitment and dedication and have again rescued and assisted a large number of people on the beaches.

“There were incidents this season where the action of the lifeguards saved people’s lives and for that they should be commended.

“The majority of our lifeguards’ work is preventative so they will have also stopped many more potentially dangerous incidents before they occurred.

“Lifeguards will continue to provide a safety service on weekends at Whitesands until the end of the month and our advice is to always swim at a lifeguarded beach whenever possible.

“People visiting beaches which do not have lifeguards can help keep themselves safe by taking note of the safety signage at the entrance to the beach, going with a friend or telling someone on the shore where they are going, at the same time always being aware of the conditions and their own capabilities in the water.”

The RNLI lifeguard service is provided in partnership with Pembrokeshire County Council.

Councillor Elwyn Morse, Pembrokeshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Culture, Sport and Leisure, said: “Once again the RNLI lifeguards have done a marvellous job in keeping our beaches safe for another season.

“They seem to have been quite busy this year with a couple of notable rescues which is a reminder to us all to take care in the sea.

“With the onset of autumn and winter, the ocean becomes even more dangerous with plummeting temperatures and storm conditions prevailing.

“We urge all beach users to treat the ocean with respect, be aware of the dangers and wear the right equipment if venturing into the water.”

Matt Horton, RNLI Senior Lifeguard Manager, added: “The next few weeks will see the autumn equinox and the big tides which accompany that so people walking on the coast should always check the tide times before setting out and carry a means of communication.

“Autumn and winter usually see bigger swells which mean more unpredictable rip currents in the water.

“Unfortunately we saw a number of incidents this year where people who went in to try and help others in the water and got into difficulty themselves.

“The RNLI’s advice is not to enter the water if you see someone in trouble but rather to call 999 and ask for the coastguard.”

Despite the peak season being over, RNLI lifeguards are set for a busy weekend next week as they provide safety cover for the Ironman Wales event in Tenby.

News

Welsh teenager jailed for creating 3D-printed gun at home

Published

1 hour ago

November 14, 2024

Tom Sinclair

A TEENAGER who assembled parts for a viable semi-automatic firearm using a 3D printer has been sentenced to nearly five years in prison.

Owain Roberts, 19, purchased nuts, bolts, steel barrels, and metal rods online, constructing components of an FGC-9 gun with the aid of a 3D printer.

Detectives said that this case marks the first of its kind in Gwent, where Roberts admitted to manufacturing a firearm component. He appeared at Cardiff Crown Court on Thursday (Nov 14).

In April, firearms officers executed warrants at two Newport addresses connected to Roberts. Seized items included a 3D printer, two laptops, six plastic reels, and parts for an FGC-9 firearm.

PC Tom Meazey, from Gwent Police’s East Serious Organised Crime team, stated: “Illegally-held firearms can lead to tragic consequences and devastate innocent people’s lives. To own a firearm, including a printable one, is illegal in the UK without a valid firearms certificate. Roberts’s reckless actions in buying items capable of manufacturing a firearm placed people at direct risk.”

This rare and complex investigation involved support from the National Crime Agency (NCA).

Roberts received a prison sentence of four years and nine months.

News

Milford Haven man caught with indecent images of children spared jail

Published

1 hour ago

November 14, 2024

Tom Sinclair

A MILFORD HAVEN man, Gareth MacDonald, 23, has been sentenced after pleading guilty to downloading over 1,000 indecent images of children.

MacDonald, of Meyler Crescent, was arrested in March 2023 following a police search of his home. Acting on intelligence, officers seized multiple electronic devices, and MacDonald admitted to downloading the illegal images.

Swansea Crown Court heard that MacDonald accessed material spanning all severity categories, including images depicting the rape of pre-teen children.

He reportedly told police he had “become bored with legal pornography” roughly a year prior to his arrest.

Judge Geraint Walters sentenced MacDonald to eight months in prison, suspended for two years. As part of the sentence, MacDonald must:

Complete 20 rehabilitation activity days
Participate in the Horizon programme
Register as a sex offender for 10 years
Comply with a 10-year sexual harm prevention order

Judge Walters remarked that MacDonald had been accessing illegal content “for some considerable period of time” despite knowing it was wrong.

However, MacDonald, who has health problems, dodged being sent to jail and was able to leave the court a free man.

Crime

Ceredigion man sentenced for selling £150,000 in illegal DVDs

Published

2 hours ago

November 14, 2024

Tom Sinclair

A CEREDIGION man has been sentenced for selling counterfeit DVDs worth £150,000 under major brand names without authorization.

David Robert Thomas, 47, from Sarnau, ran a sophisticated online operation, producing and selling fake DVDs labeled with brands like Netflix, Amazon, Disney, Sony, and Universal City Studios LLC. Thomas used seven different websites and managed multiple bank and PayPal accounts, including those of family members, to carry out his business.

Councillor Matthew Vaux, Ceredigion County Council’s Cabinet Member for Public Protection, said: “Counterfeiting is often thought of as a victimless crime, but it harms the local economy by undermining legitimate businesses that pay taxes and create real jobs. This result sends a clear message that counterfeit sales will not be tolerated, and we will act against offenders.”

Thomas pleaded guilty at Swansea Crown Court on Monday (Nov 11) and was sentenced to 20 months in prison, suspended for 18 months. His sentence includes a four-month curfew and fifteen Rehabilitation Activity Requirement days.

Under the Crime Act 2002, forfeiture proceedings will follow to reclaim the financial benefits from Thomas’s criminal activities. Judge Richards took into account the market value of equivalent genuine goods, the sophisticated setup of Thomas’s business, and his previously clean record in reaching the sentencing decision.

The case was brought forward successfully by Ceredigion County Council’s Trading Standards Service.