A man has died on a popular beach near a Welsh seaside resort.
Medics were said to have fought for more than an hour to resuscitate the man while his family looked on. Coastguard rescue teams were joined by a search and rescue helicopter on Porth Neigwl (Hell’s Mouth), near Abersoch, on Friday, August 6.
Holidaymakers and residents in the area were left shocked and shaken after the incident, reports NorthWalesLive.
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Emergency services responded to a 999 call from a member of the public reporting three people in difficulty in the water.
The beach, known for its on-shore winds and difficult swimming conditions, is popular with surfers and water sports enthusiasts.
Paramedics run from the Coastguard helicopter to help the casualty
(Image: Bryn Dando)
One surfer said the scenes he saw were “terribly sad and emotional”. Bryn Dando, 45, from Llanfair Caereionion, near Welshpool, filmed the coastguard helicopter landing before switching off his camera when realising a tragedy was unfolding before him.
He said: “There was a crowd of people surrounding someone on their back on the beach.
“The paramedics from the helicopter were racing across the beach – several of us ran over with towels to keep him warm. Other surfers had brought their boards and formed a windbreak around him.
“I didn’t want to intrude anymore, I wanted to retreat to a respectful distance, as his family was obviously distraught.”
Bryn said he was “shocked” to see people still surfing as paramedics fought to save the man’s life.
Worse still, he claimed, others were standing close by and filming the scene. He added: “After watching the CPR being performed for about half an hour you fear the worst.
“But those paramedics continued to give CPR for an hour and 10 minutes.
“They kept on changing over as they were getting exhausted. It takes a lot of physical effort to maintain CPR for that length of time.
“They did everything they could, but he was gone.
“I’ve never witnessed something like that before. I just had to go and find a quiet spot and have a little cry.”
Bryn said local surfers were also responded magnificently: he believes two of them brought the casualty back to shore in difficult conditions. Witnesses said he had been bodyboarding.
“The wind was blowing at about 20 knots, so surfers were offering their towels to try and keep the man warm,” he said.
“Another comforted his daughter, who was wrapped in a towel shivering and crying.”
HM Coastguard said it had been called at around 2.30pm on Friday, August 6.
A spokesperson said: “Coastguard rescue teams from Aberdaron and Abersoch were sent alongside the search and rescue helicopter from Caernarfon, the Welsh Ambulance Service and North Wales Police.”
Bryn said the incident had shocked him into buying a buoyancy aid and enrolling on a first-aid course. He hopes others will do likewise.
He has also pledged to set up direct debits for the emergency services involved – the Coastguard, RNLI and Welsh Ambulance Service.
Six weeks ago, after suffering a PTSD-related seizure, he was brought down from Cader Idris mountain in the same Coastguard helicopter used in yesterday’s incident.
“Even if it’s just a few pounds a week, it all helps to fund these heroes whose services we may all be in need of one day,” he said.
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