Rescue of woman on Caldey Island by Welsh coastguard helicopter and RNLI lifeboats

On 31 July 2026 at about 16:30, a woman suffered a medical emergency on Priory Bay, Caldey Island, a small island off the Pembrokeshire coast near Tenby, Wales. Coastguard personnel on the island requested assistance, prompting the deployment of a coastguard helicopter from Cardiff and two RNLI vessels from Tenby. The inshore lifeboat arrived first to provide initial care, while the all‑weather lifeboat later brought a Welsh Ambulance Service paramedic and additional crew. After treatment on the beach, the casualty was immobilised, placed on a stretcher and loaded onto the helicopter, which flew her to a hospital in Cardiff. The rescue team then returned to Tenby.

The operation highlighted the coordinated response of the Welsh Coastguard, RNLI and ambulance services in a remote coastal setting.