A GROUP of rescuers who went to the aid of a missing paddle boarder had to be airlifted off a rocky outcrop themselves, the Cambrian News has learnt.

The alarm was sounded just after 11pm last Saturday after the 30-year-old man failed to return to Aberporth.

The HM Coastguard search and rescue helicopter based at St Athan eventually located him just before 1.30am near Traeth Bach, between Penbryn and Llangrannog.

The paddle boarder was winched onto the helicopter and taken to Morriston Hospital – his condition is not known.

However, the drama was not yet over as two Dyfed-Powys Police officers - Sgt Matthew Howells and PC Seth Davies - two members of New Quay’s RNLI lifeboat crew -  Brett Stones and Dan Montgomery - and two members of the public were themselves left stranded.

“It wasn’t how we expected the search to end, but we had to ensure we had done all we could to find this man,” Sgt Howells said afterwards.

The helicopter crew spotted a paddle board and paddles on the water’s edge at Traeth Bach and campers said they had earlier seen a man clambering up the rocks.

“It was 1am by this time, and pitch black,” said Sgt Howells. “There were rocks on the beach which become an island when the tide comes in. The tide was right out, so we climbed up one side using the lights from the helicopter to find our way to the top.

“At the time we weren’t thinking about how to get down, our priority was to find the missing man.”

The man was found at the top of the rocks, safe and covered with a blanket. He was airlifted to hospital by the coastguard, leaving Sgt Howells, PC Davies and others on the island.

Sgt Howells said: “It was too steep to climb back down – even in daylight - one slip and we wouldn’t have been able to stop ourselves.

“The RNLI told the coastguard it was too dangerous to get back down.

“They treated it as a separate incident and a helicopter was sent to get us at around 5am. We were winched up two-by-two and dropped at Penbryn Beach.”