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Displaying items by tag: Devil's Bridge

Two men, who became stranded on an Irish sea beach at the bottom of cliffs due to heavy sea conditions, have been recovered by Welsh coastguard rescue officers.

Milford Haven Coastguard received a 999 call at 7.15 pm this evening reporting that the two men were stranded in heavy surf at the bottom of cliffs at Devil's Bridge near Broadhaven. Broadhaven Coastguard Rescue Team was requested to attend the scene, Littlehaven RNLI inshore lifeboat was requested to launch and the rescue helicopter from RAF Chivenor was scrambled.

There were heavy sea conditions on scene with strengthening winds and so a decision was made that the safest course of action would be to lower a coastguard from Broadhaven Coastguard Rescue Team to the stranded men, then bring both men back up the cliff face. This operation would be backed up by the Dale Coastguard Rescue Team and illumination of the cliff face would be provided by the lifeboat from the bottom and the helicopter overhead.

The two men, both dressed in wetsuits were recovered by the coastguard rescue team to the top of the cliff. A third man (the first informant) was also assisted back up the cliffs from the cliff path where he had been observing the ongoing situation and reporting back to Milford Haven Coastguard.

Bob Peel, Milford Haven Coastguard Watch Manager says:

"When all of the rescue assets arrived on scene, we had to make an assessment about what would be the safest way of getting the two men to safety. Due to the swell, wind conditions and height of the cliffs (about 200 ft), we decided that using the coastguard rescue team would be the best option. I am pleased to say that all three men are safe and well."

Published in Coastguard

Coastal Notes Coastal Notes covers a broad spectrum of stories, events and developments in which some can be quirky and local in nature, while other stories are of national importance and are on-going, but whatever they are about, they need to be told.

Stories can be diverse and they can be influential, albeit some are more subtle than others in nature, while other events can be immediately felt. No more so felt, is firstly to those living along the coastal rim and rural isolated communities. Here the impact poses is increased to those directly linked with the sea, where daily lives are made from earning an income ashore and within coastal waters.

The topics in Coastal Notes can also be about the rare finding of sea-life creatures, a historic shipwreck lost to the passage of time and which has yet many a secret to tell. A trawler's net caught hauling more than fish but cannon balls dating to the Napoleonic era.

Also focusing the attention of Coastal Notes, are the maritime museums which are of national importance to maintaining access and knowledge of historical exhibits for future generations.

Equally to keep an eye on the present day, with activities of existing and planned projects in the pipeline from the wind and wave renewables sector and those of the energy exploration industry.

In addition Coastal Notes has many more angles to cover, be it the weekend boat leisure user taking a sedate cruise off a long straight beach on the coast beach and making a friend with a feathered companion along the way.

In complete contrast is to those who harvest the sea, using small boats based in harbours where infrastructure and safety poses an issue, before they set off to ply their trade at the foot of our highest sea cliffs along the rugged wild western seaboard.

It's all there, as Coastal Notes tells the stories that are arguably as varied to the environment from which they came from and indeed which shape people's interaction with the surrounding environment that is the natural world and our relationship with the sea.