Air and sea rescue drama (From Penarth Times)

Air and sea rescue drama

TWO sailors stranded off Penarth beach were brought to safety, thanks to a joint response from Penarth Lifeboat, the RAF Sea King Rescue helicopter and Penarth's Auxiliary Coastguards.

Penarth's Atlantic 75 boat was launched just after 7pm on Saturday (March 26) to go to the aid of a boat whose engine had failed, and had run aground between Laver-nock Point and Penarth pier.

Helmed by Stuart Jones and crewed by Sarah Wheeler, Jim Meyer and Jason Dunlop, the lifeboat quickly found the vessel by following red flares, which were being fired up at regular intervals from the boat.

The lifeboat crew found one man on board the boat unharmed. His fellow sailor - a man in his late sixties - had climbed up onto the cliff face with the boat's tow rope, to try to stop the boat drifting away with the outgoing tide, and had become stuck halfway up the cliff.

Another sailor had already left the stranded boat and waded ashore to try and stop the incoming tide covering the group's car and trailer, parked on the slipway.

The Atlantic 75 crew secured a line to the stricken vessel and towed it to Cardiff Barrage.

At the same time, the RAF Sea King helicopter - on its way to an exercise in the Brecon Beacons - was diverted to the incident, and airlifted the man to the safety of the cliff top.