RLNI rescue jet ski rider swept out to sea near Great Orme

An RLNI crew spotted a rider who had been swept out to sea and couldn’t call for help, leading to a fortunate rescue.

The crew had just towed a boat to safety when they received a call for another boat rescue near the Great Orme, Llandudno in North Wales. The rider had been in the water for 45 minutes, carried out to sea, and unable to call for assistance.

A second lifeboat joined the effort, and both crews collaborated to bring the rider and jet ski safely back to shore. The incident started at 2.14pm on Friday, September 6. Llandudno’s all-weather lifeboat, William F Yates, responded to a seven-metre day boat in distress about a mile north of Pigeon’s Cave, near the Great Orme.

The stranded boat was towed to a pontoon in Conwy. During the return trip, the crew noticed something unusual near a buoy in the Conwy channel.

Coxswain Graham Heritage explained that upon closer inspection, they found an upturned jet ski with its rider clinging to it, being swept away by the ebbing tide. The lifeboat crew quickly secured the jet ski and rescued the rider. Due to the urgency, they requested assistance from Conwy’s inshore lifeboat, which took over towing the jet ski.

This allowed the Llandudno lifeboat to transport the rider to shore rapidly. The RNLI Conwy crew noted that the individual had been trying to swim the jet ski back to shore.

The William F Yates was officially stood down at 4.40pm and returned to Llandudno’s North Shore by 5.18pm. The jet ski was later recovered at Beacons Jetty, Conwy Morfa, by its owner.

Mr Heritage commented on the unpredictable nature of lifeboat missions, stating, “It just goes to show you never truly know what you’re heading into when the pager goes off. Anything can happen, and our crew must always be prepared for whatever comes their way.”