SEARCH teams carried out a major operation at Broad Haven after reports of a missing person.

Little and Broad Haven Lifeboat said its crew were paged at 3:46pm on Thursday (May 28) to assist Dyfed-Powys Police, HM Coastguard Broad Haven and HM Coastguard Dale with a shoreline search around Broad Haven beach.

The initial search did not locate the missing person, and the lifeboat returned to station.

The crew were then tasked for a second time at 8:01pm to assist RNLI St Davids Lifeboat and Coastguard helicopter Rescue 924 from Newquay as the search was widened further out to sea.

Following an update from police, the focus of the operation was moved inland and Little and Broad Haven Lifeboat was stood down.

The crew returned to station and the lifeboat was made ready for service.

Little and Broad Haven Lifeboat described the operation as “a great team effort all round.”

Reform MS says Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion must not be treated as an afterthought

CLAIRE ARCHIBALD MS has met senior representatives of Hywel Dda University Health Board to discuss proposed changes to stroke services across west Wales.

The Reform MS for Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion said she understood why many residents were concerned whenever specialist services appeared to be moving further away from rural communities.

Under the proposal, suspected stroke patients would continue to be assessed, scanned and given urgent treatment locally before being transferred to Glangwili Hospital in Carmarthen, where a new specialist stroke unit would be created.

The health board says the model would provide a level of specialist stroke care not currently available across the constituency, with the aim of improving access to round-the-clock expertise.

However, concerns remain over transfer times, inter-hospital transport, rehabilitation, and the impact on patients and families living in rural areas.

Ms Archibald said: “My priority is clear: people in Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion must have access to the safest and best possible stroke care, without rural communities being treated as an afterthought.”

She said she had raised questions directly with health board representatives and would continue to scrutinise the plans.

She added: “This is not something I will approach with shouting or point-scoring. Stroke care is too important for that.

“I will listen carefully, ask the difficult questions, challenge where needed, and work constructively with the Health Board to get the best outcome for local people.”

Ms Archibald said she would meet the health board again to discuss Bronglais, Withybush and local services in more detail.

She also said she would hold the Welsh Government to account in the Senedd over funding for rural healthcare.

The proposals form part of Hywel Dda’s wider review of clinical services, which has already prompted strong debate across Pembrokeshire, Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire over the future shape of hospital care.

Child airlift requested after four-metre fall near Lydstep

A CHILD was rescued from rocks near Lydstep after falling around four metres during an organised coasteering session.

Both Tenby lifeboats were launched shortly before 4:00pm on Thursday (May 28) after the Coastguard received a 999 call reporting that the child had fallen onto rocks at Church Doors.

The volunteer crews made best speed to the scene, around 3.8 miles west of Tenby. Once there, the inshore lifeboat went in close to the rocks while the all-weather lifeboat stood off.

The child was found lying on the rocks with his parents, who had also been taking part in the session. He was conscious but complaining of back pain.

A rescue helicopter was requested, but with the tide coming in quickly and the aircraft travelling from Newquay in Cornwall, crews feared the child could be submerged before it arrived.

A stretcher and additional crew members were transferred from the all-weather lifeboat to the rocks, where they were joined by Tenby Coastguard Rescue Team.

The child was immobilised, placed on the stretcher, and taken with his parents to the safety of the larger lifeboat to await the helicopter.

The Coastguard helicopter arrived a short time later and lowered a paramedic onto the lifeboat to assess him. It was then decided the child would be more comfortable remaining aboard the lifeboat, with the paramedic accompanying him back to Tenby.

A Welsh Ambulance Services University NHS Trust ambulance was waiting at Tenby, and the child was handed over for onward treatment.

The Coastguard paramedic was then taken to Greenhill School, where the helicopter was waiting to return to Newquay.

A Tenby RNLI spokesperson said: “The child was taking part in a well-organised coasteering session and was wearing a wetsuit, buoyancy aid and, crucially, a helmet, which likely saved him from more serious injuries.

“The RNLI recommends that when going coasteering, you always try to use a recognised National Coasteering Charter provider, as these provide all the necessary safety gear and guidance.”

Photo caption:

Multi-agency rescue: Tenby lifeboat crews, Coastguard teams and the Coastguard helicopter were involved in the rescue near Lydstep.