ILB Dash TWO TEENAGE girls brought word to Rhossili Coastguard Station, at 6 p.m.

on July 2, 1973, that four of their friends were stranded on Worms Head.

A member of the Coastguard drove straight to the beach in a Land-Rover and sighted four people attempting to swim to the mainland. The wind was north west force 3 and the sea was slight, but it was two hours to high water springs with a very strong flood tide running south east through the Sound.

A message was passed to Horton and Port Eynon, Glamorganshire, lifeboat station and by 6.20 the ILB with a crew of three, Mr Walter Groves (in command), Mr John McNulty and Mr Charles Twitchett, was heading for the spot at full speed.

Having cleared Port Eynon Point the boat was kept very close inshore hugging the back of the breakers to avoid the adverse tide. The usual course to Worms Sound would have taken the ILB further off shore, but it was realised how important it was to reach the swimmers as soon as possible since their chances of reaching the mainland under such conditions were slight.

At about the time the ILB launched the four swimmers were seen to be struggling in broken water and becoming separated from one another. The Rhossili Coastguard called out the cliff rescue crew and asked for helicopter assistance.

On arrival at the southern entrance to the Sound at 6.30, Mr Twitchett sighted a man in the water being swept towards the boat by the strong flood tide. He was hauled aboard and told the crew that there were two swimmers to seaward. A search was immediately started to the southward. A radiomessage from the Coastguard advised that casualties were to port of the ILB, and course was altered to the cast. After travelling for about 500 yards a man supporting a girl was sighted ahead, 200 yards off shore in confused sea caused by heavy surf breaking over rocks.

As the ILB came alongside these two people a wave forced it away and Mr McNulty and Mr Twitchctt leapt into the water and assisted them to the boat.

The girl, later identified as Miss Ann Pewsey, aged 20, appeared to be in a lifeless state. She was hauled into the boat and given artificial respiration to which she responded, but her general condition was poor.

The man was assisted aboard by the two crew members who were still in the water hanging on to the grablines. After the crewmen had reboarded, it was decided the young woman should be landed and got to hospital without delay, so the boat was headed back to a position off the shore opposite to where the Coastguard Land-Rover was parked.

The foreshore between Rhossili Point and the western end of Mewslade Bay is covered by jagged rocks affording virtually no facilities for landing. To attempt such an operation in the heavy surf running over the rocks was highly dangerous. However, Helmsman Groves thought it right to land and decided to b.