Stranded man is rescued (From Barry And District News)

Stranded man is rescued

A MAJOR rescue operation was launched after a windsurfer went missing off Cold Knap on Tuesday evening.

Barry Island Coastguards had assembled for their weekly voluntary training, when a radio message from headquarters at Swansea told them an experienced boardsailor, who had launched from Cold Knap an hour earlier, had not been seen since.

Barry Dock lifeboat was launched, as well as the rescue helicopter from Chivenor.

There was still no sign of the man, so coastguards from Penarth, the Penarth lifeboats and the Atlantic College inshore lifeboat were also asked to help.

When the man's wife arrived at Cold Knap, she told rescue services husband has previously visited the Breaksea/Lamby buoy - and the helicopter and Barry Dock lifeboat found him there. He was picked up after a three-hour search and returned to Cold Knap.

It turned out that his mast had broken and thrown him into the water and, unable to catch up with his board, he swam to the buoy.

The total effort used for the rescue was 15 coastguards, three inshore lifeboats and their crews and launchers, Barry Dock all-weather lifeboat and crew, and a helicopter, all co-ordinated by Swansea Coastguard.

Dave Ball, of Barry Island Coastguards, said: "The lesson learned is to carry the correct equipment. The casualty used to carry flares, but had not replaced them when they went out of date. Another recognised distress signal for boardsailing is a large, dayglo-orange cloth. If the casualty had carried these, he would have been rescued much more quickly."

l Barry Island Coastguards were also called out on Monday afternoon to a group of youths jumping off the South Cardinal buoy off Cold Knap point. The person reporting them thought they may get swept away by the current. The youths were given advice, and swam back across the old harbour to the beach.