Injured and stranded on rocks at the bottom of a sheer cliff: for two fishermen there seemed to be no route to safety. But RNLI lifeguards and lifeboat crew found one …

Thursday 6 August 2009 was more than a typical busy day on Langland Beach, Swansea, for Senior Lifeguard Nick Dowrick and his colleagues. Despite cloud, there were more than 1,000 people enjoying the beach and, as Nick scanned the bathers, his radio sprang to life. It was Swansea Coastguard: a member of the public thought they’d seen a boat capsize at Rams Tor, east of Langland.

Leaving Lifeguards Tom Burgess and Gareth Howarth to manage the beach, Nick grabbed his rescue tube and ran. ‘My radio went off again and the Coastguard confirmed there were two casualties, but access to Rams Tor is tricky. The area is just cliffs and rocks that get battered by swell and strong rips. There's no real access to the water,’ explains Nick.

‘About a mile along the coastal path, I spotted someone climbing down to help. Below, one person was lying face-down on the rocks with waves washing over him. The other casualty was sitting on a rock close by. Immediately I radioed for lifeboat and helicopter assistance.’

Through exposed rock and dense vegetation Nick clambered 100m down the cliff face, carrying oxygen cylinder, defibrillator, rescue tube and more. ‘I caught up with the person I’d spotted earlier. He told me that the man face-down on the rock was not responding to shouts – this casualty was my priority.’

Meanwhile, thanks to off-duty Lifeguard Emma Williams volunteering to help maintain the safety of the beach, Gareth had been released by Supervising Lifeguard Tom Burgess and was scrambling down the cliff too. Nick continues: ‘We shouted to both casualties. The man sitting on the rock waved but there was still no response from the other. Keeping Swansea Coastguard updated via radio, I learned that RAF Rescue 169 was on its way.’

When Nick finally reached him, the first casualty was breathing, conscious but in pain and unable to move. Nick had to assume a neck injury but also somehow lift his face clear. Kneeling behind the man, Nick slipped his arms under the man’s and gripped the sides of his head to keep the upper spine aligned and preserve his airway.

‘The capsized boat was washing ever nearer with each wave but I managed to fend it off with my foot while keeping the man stable,’ remembers Nick. ‘Then Gareth arrived and took over securing the man’s head. We agreed not to move him until the helicopter arrived.’ However, they were still in constant danger from the surf, rising tide and the boat: ‘I held onto Gareth and the casualty to stop them being washed away, and waited.’

Meanwhile, RNLI volunteers at The Mumbles had launched their D class lifeboat and now arrived on scene. But they were unable to get close due to the surf. Less than 5 minutes later the RAF helicopter arrived and lowered its winchman. Nick explains: ‘The space was tight and Injured and stranded on rocks at the bottom of a sheer cliff: for two fishermen there seemed to be no route to safety. But RNLI lifeguards and lifeboat crew found one … evacuation needed to be quick so we fitted the man with a spinal collar and he was winched to safety simply on a strop, not a stretcher.’

Nick and Gareth now turned their attention to the second man. Gareth swam to reach him while Nick climbed further up the rocks to get a radio signal. The casualty was alert but had a large fishing hook through his foot. Gareth decided to leave it in place for fear of serious bleeding. ‘We now had to think of a way of evacuating him,’ says Nick. ‘The helicopter had no fuel for a second run, the man couldn’t climb and the lifeboat couldn’t reach him.

‘With the other services, we came to the joint decision that lifeboat Crew Member Dan Wright would swim in and help Gareth swim the man out to the lifeboat. We secured him with a rescue tube but, once in the water, he panicked.’ Dan and Gareth worked to reassure him as they fought their way out through a narrow gulley and 50m of surf. At one point he got entangled in submerged fishing gear but they eventually reached the safety of the lifeboat, which sped him ashore.

Thanks to the quick thinking, skill and selflessness of this diverse team of lifesavers, the two casualties made a full recovery. RNLI Lifeguard Supervisor Chris Vaughan comments: ‘It’s fairly treacherous at Rams Tor but their local knowledge enabled Nick and Gareth to negotiate a path down to the injured people. They showed huge courage in tackling the cliff to deal with two traumatic cases in a rocky cove in lots of surf. It was a fantastic job under very stressful conditions