Boy 'critical' after swim rescue

The friends had been swimming off Whitmore Bay beach, Barry

A teenage boy remains in a critical condition and two others have been treated for hypothermia after being caught in a riptide while swimming.

The three friends had been swimming off Barry, Vale of Glamorgan, on Saturday. Barry Dock lifeboat crew recovered one boy unconscious from the water.

He was flown to Cardiff's University Hospital of Wales (UHW).

His two friends managed to make it to shore and were taken to hospital by ambulance. They were later discharged.

Swansea Coastguard said they were called about the incident, off Whitmore Bay beach on the south side of Barry Island, just after 1600 BST.

They sent Barry Dock RNLI all-weather lifeboat, Barry's coastguard rescue team and the rescue helicopter from RAF Chivenor to the scene.

They are exceedingly big tides at the moment and we think they were probably swimming off one of the headlands Karl Spierling, Barry Dock lifeboat

Rescuers said they believed two of the boys tried to help after one began getting into difficulties.

Karl Spierling, deputy second coxswain for the Barry Dock lifeboat, said: "I believe they were in the water for about an hour and the lads were so cold that they couldn't hold onto their friend anymore and had to let him go.

"If that was true that must have been a devastating decision to have to make. By all accounts they were very lucky to get ashore.

"I believe one was a strong swimmer and one was a poor swimmer and one was helping the other.

"They are exceedingly big tides at the moment and we think they were probably swimming off one of the headlands."

Mr Spierling added that a paramedic who volunteers for the lifeboat was able to start working on the unconscious boy as soon as he was out of the sea.

Calm conditions

Julie Wood from Swansea Coastguard said: "The lifeboat recovered one of the casualties from the water unconscious and was then transferred by the rescue helicopter on scene and taken to University Hospital Wales."

Ms Wood added that weather conditions were very calm and there was little wind.

Coastguards believe the friends, two of whom were aged 15 and 16, were among a group visiting the beach for the day.

"We would like to remind people visiting the coast that even in these conditions people need to take care when entering the water as you can still get in to potentially life-threatening situations," she said.

It was originally thought only two teenagers got into difficulties but coastguards confirmed later that three needed treatment.