Barry Dock RNLI volunteers were called out on Sunday evening, 4 August 2025, to assist in the rescue of a man who had fallen on rocks at Dams Bay, east of Rhoose Point.
HM Coastguard tasked the crew at around 5.15pm after the 61-year-old suffered a suspected broken ankle. The station’s inshore lifeboat (ILB) launched with three crew members and made its way to the scene in challenging sea conditions.
On arrival, crews determined the casualty could not be extracted by sea due to his injury, the rocky location and the risk of further harm. After consulting with Barry Coastguard Rescue, Coastguard Rescue Helicopter 187 was called in to winch the man to safety.
The ILB remained on scene to provide support before returning to station, where it was washed down and made ready for service.
Chris White, Helm of the Barry Dock inshore lifeboat, said:
“No matter how prepared you are, we know accidents can happen. Thankfully the casualty had a fully charged mobile phone and was able to call the Coastguard for help. The coordinated multi-agency response between the Coastguard Rescue Team, the helicopter crew, and our volunteer lifeboat crew meant we could reach the casualty quickly and safely, despite the conditions.”
Barry Dock Lifeboat Station has been serving the Vale of Glamorgan coast since 1901, operating both an all-weather lifeboat and a D-class inshore lifeboat as part of the RNLI’s 24-hour search and rescue service.