26/08/2005

Search continues for missing boy

A major search was continuing on Friday for a missing 14-year-old boy who was swept out to sea off the north coast of Wales on Thursday.

An RAF helicopter joined police divers and coastguards in a hunt for the boy who was struggling to swim to shore at Llandanwg beach, Harlech.

At 8:45pm, as dusk fell, his 16-year-old brother, who is reported to be in a critical condition, was rescued by the coastguard. His 19-year-old friend managed to swim to safety and was unharmed.

Carl Hiltunen, Holyhead Coastguard Watch Manager, said: “We are very concerned for the wellbeing of this boy. There has been an onshore wind today which has resulted in lots of swell. The search is obviously made more difficult by the onset of darkness.”

Holyhead Coastguard, the Criccieth Lifeboat and the Harlech and Barmouth Coastguard Rescue Teams are all taking part in the ongoing search.

Mr Hiltunen said the teams would continue to search of Friday, after which a decision will be made on how long they will proceed.

And off Falmouth on Friday afternoon, Coastguard were involved in the co-ordination of efforts to rescue 14 people who were thrown into the water when a large yellow rigid inflatable boat (rib) was seriously damage off St Ives in Cornwall.

A rescue helicopter was sent to the scene and the St Ives lifeboat was launched.

It is understood that a nearby fishing vessel and the lifeboat had retrieved a number of casualties at the scene and that one person had sustained a broken leg in the incident.

A total eight people are reported to have been taken to Treliske hospital.

The damaged inflatable which had been split in two by the force of the incident was taken under tow and was being brought back into the harbour by the lifeboat.

An investigator from the MCA is to examine the damaged vessel.

(SP)

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