Lucky escape for man rescued from Rhyl harbour after falling from dinghy

  • Wales
The man was only in the water for a few minutes because of the quick rescue. Credit: RNLI/ Rhyl

A man's been rescued after he fell into the water at Rhyl harbour after slipping from his dinghy. He was spotted by the Deputy launch authority for Rhyl RNLI lifeboat crew, Peter Robinson, who was walking his dog by the harbour when he heard a splash.

Peter Robinson got in touch with HM Coastguard centre at Holyhead to request the inshore lifeboat launch immediately. With the lifeboat on its way, he saw a fishing boat skipper, Simon Parry, was on board his vessel nearby. Together they crossed the harbour on the fishing boat to assist.

Since the RNLI was founded in 1824, its lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved over 142,700 lives.

The lifeboat launched within four minutes of the call, but engine problems delayed it by another four minutes. The engine was re-started and the crew then made best speed to the harbour.

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By then, Simon and Peter had managed to get the person onto the fishing boat from the water. The inshore lifeboat crew arrived soon after, and assisted the coastguards to help the casualty ashore. Family members were ashore, and took the man to hospital.

Paul Archer-Jones, duty lifeboat coxswain said 'It was very fortunate that our launch authority and the boat skipper were near at hand when the incident occurred. Their quick actions probably helped to perform an effective rescue. I would like to extend my thanks to Simon and Peter for their actions and quick thinking'.