News

Dai thanks emergency services that helped save his life

Published

4 years ago

December 7, 2021

Carli Newell

A PEMBROKESHIRE dad-of-three has thanked the emergency services that helped save his life.

In February Dai Davies was getting ready for bed when he suddenly collapsed and had a cardiac arrest.

Dai’s wife Taryan and son Caleb, 18, helped save his life as they performed CPR on Dai whilst waiting for an ambulance to arrive.

When the paramedics arrived, Dai’s heart was in an abnormal rhythm and not beating normally. The paramedics took over resuscitation, delivered two shocks and the second shock brought his heart back into a normal rhythm.

When the Wales Air Ambulance Charity helicopter arrived with its overnight critical care team – Dr Matt O'Meara, Critical Care Practitioner Marc Allen and pilot Nobby Norris – Dai started to come around and became agitated and wasn’t breathing effectively.

They rapidly assessed him and found his oxygen levels were low and needed to take over his breathing. To do this they gave him a general anaesthetic and then placed him on a ventilator to breathe for him.

The procedure is delicate, complex and time-critical. It is only possible outside of a hospital environment through the Wales Air Ambulance and the fact that they have experienced consultants on board.

It is one of the many emergency department-standard treatments that the Charity is now able to deliver at the scene of an incident – improving the chances of survival and recovery.

Once the on-scene treatment was complete, Dai was airlifted directly to the cardiac centre at Morriston Hospital in Swansea.

The flight from his home in Neyland to hospital took just 25 minutes by air, a journey that would have taken approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes by road.

Speaking of the lifesaving service, Dai said: “I am forever grateful to the ambulance service and the Wales Air Ambulance for the work they did and to get me to the hospital as quickly as they did. I really appreciate everything they’ve done for me. If it wasn’t for them, I wouldn’t be here.”

The father-of-three was a keen runner and cyclist before he was taken ill, reflecting on whether there were any signs that could have indicated a potential problem, Dai said: “I had a pain in my back whilst I was refereeing a match about five years ago. I had MRI scans and physiotherapy and continued to live with the on-off pain. Since it happened, I’ve been reading up on cardiac arrests and these symptoms were a big indicator.”

The learning support assistant, at Haverfordwest High School, underwent surgery to have three stents put in and was discharged from hospital a few days later.

He said: “I’m feeling okay. I’ve had three stents put in, lost 10 kilograms in weight through cardiac rehab and cut out all the nice things. My wife has also bought me a new peloton bike to continue my fitness at home. My children, Chloe, Caleb and Aidan, all notice a change in me since the cardiac arrest, they think I’m more placid now.”

Throughout his recovery Dai received expert guidance and help by having personal training from cardiac rehabilitation instructor Dave Braithwaite. Dai is now looking forward to the future.

Jo Yeoman is a patient liaison nurse who works in partnership with the Wales Air Ambulance Charity. She said: “We are delighted to see that Dai is on the road to recovery. Dai’s story demonstrates the vital chain of survival, from CPR, defibrillation and then critical care.

Taryan and Caleb were incredible and the partnership work between the Wales Air Ambulance and Welsh Ambulance Service medics ensured that Dai had the best possible care before reaching the specialists at Morriston Hospital.

“The Wales Air Ambulance Charity introduced an overnight helicopter in December 2020, making it a 24/7 service. The Charity needs to raise £8 million every year to maintain the 24/7 operation and Dai’s story highlights the importance of having an air ambulance service that runs during the night as well as the day.”

Christian Newman, the Welsh Ambulance Service’s Locality Manager in Pembrokeshire, said: “In a cardiac arrest, every second counts, and the CPR started by Dai’s wife and son gave him the best possible chance of survival. Our joint efforts with Wales Air Ambulance colleagues, and later the care that Dai had from the specialists at Morriston Hospital, just goes to show how important partnership working is to a patient’s care. We wish Dai all the very best on his continued recovery.”

There are several ways that the public can continue to support the Wales Air Ambulance Charity. These include online donations, signing up to the Charity’s Lifesaving Lottery or by coming up with innovative ways to fundraise. Further information can be found via www.walesairambulance.com.

Alternatively, a £5 text-message donation can be made by texting the word HELI to 70711.

Entertainment

Dinosaurs set to take over Milford Waterfront

Published

1 minute ago

May 5, 2026

Tom Sinclair

PREHISTORIC FUN COMES TO MILFORD HAVEN

DINOSAURS will be roaming Milford Waterfront later this month as Dinomania brings a day of prehistoric entertainment to the town.

The popular dinosaur attraction will take over the waterfront on Wednesday, May 27, with three interactive shows taking place throughout the afternoon.

Each show will last around 50 minutes and promises plenty of audience participation, prehistoric facts, and family-friendly fun.

Before the ticketed shows begin, visitors are being encouraged to keep an eye out around Milford Waterfront, where Dinomania’s dinosaurs will be out and about during a free walkabout performance between 10:30am and 11:30am.

The walkabout will give families the chance to see the dinosaurs up close and enjoy some entertainment around the waterfront before the main shows get underway.

Milford Waterfront said: “Dinomania will be taking over Milford Waterfront on Wednesday, May 27, with three exciting shows taking place throughout the afternoon.

“Each show lasts approximately 50 minutes and is packed with interactive moments and prehistoric fun.”

Tickets can be booked through the Milford Waterfront website.

Local Government

Call for councillor to fill standards committee vacancy

Published

5 minutes ago

May 5, 2026

Tom Sinclair

A TOWN or Community Councillor in Pembrokeshire is being sought to fill a vacancy on the committee responsible for promoting and maintaining high standards of conduct across the county.

Pembrokeshire County Council’s Standards Committee currently has an opening for a representative from a Town or Community Council.

The committee plays a key role within the authority, including reviewing reports from the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales relating to alleged breaches of the Code of Conduct.

To be eligible, applicants must be a serving member of a Town or Community Council within the Pembrokeshire County Council area.

Anyone interested in applying is asked to contact Kate Matthews from the council’s Democratic Services team via email at [email protected]. An application form will then be provided.

Completed applications must be returned by Friday (June 12). Interviews are expected to take place later that month.

The time commitment for the role can vary, although the Standards Committee typically holds four scheduled meetings each year, along with additional meetings if required.

The successful applicant will serve for the remainder of the current council term, until the local elections in May 2027, with the possibility of a further five-year extension.

An appointment panel will conduct interviews and make recommendations to the full council based on set criteria.

Community

Fire service sets out new flood response plan for Mid and West Wales

Published

1 hour ago

May 5, 2026

Tom Sinclair

AROUND 31,000 properties across Mid and West Wales are at risk of flooding, according to figures released as part of a new fire service response strategy.

Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service has completed a major engagement process to shape how it deals with future flooding incidents.

The work brought together operational crews, partner agencies and community representatives through a series of “Flooding Balanced Room” workshops.

The service said the aim was to make sure all voices were heard equally while developing practical options for prevention, response and recovery.

Nearly 24,000 properties in the service area are at risk from river flooding, while more than 7,000 are at risk from tidal flooding.

The service attends around 300 water rescue and weather-related flooding incidents each year.

Officials say flooding is becoming more frequent and more serious because of climate change, including heavier rainfall and prolonged weather events.

Recent data also shows a clear seasonal pattern, with the highest number of flooding incidents taking place between October and February.

The third quarter of 2025/26 was the busiest for flooding incidents since 2017/18, while February 2020 and November 2025 recorded the highest monthly levels of flooding activity.

The workshops produced four key priorities: prevention first, collaboration and partnership, enhanced specialist capability, and learning and continuous improvement.

Eleven initial options were narrowed down to five main areas.

These include better public education, community flood groups, improved flood messaging with partner agencies, more staff training, improved welfare and PPE for firefighters, better vehicles and technology, and stronger post-incident support for communities.

Proposals include using flood awareness in home fire safety checks, improving training scenarios, increasing the number of qualified water incident managers, expanding drone use, and using climate data to plan future fleet and equipment needs.

The options have now been assessed, with recommendations presented to the service’s Executive Leadership Team.

The plans will feed into the service’s future flooding strategy and its Community Risk Management Plan 2040.

Iwan Cray, Deputy Chief Fire Officer for Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service, said: “The Flooding Balanced Room process has highlighted the importance of collaboration.

“By listening to our staff, partners, and communities, we’ve created practical, forward-thinking solutions that will strengthen our ability to prevent and manage flooding in Mid and West Wales.

“Together, we can build a safer, more resilient Wales.”