&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "Passengers found perched on wing of airplane that crashed in the sea in Wales")
Rescuers were shocked to see passengers of a plane sitting on the wing of the aircraft that had crashed into the sea off the coast of Wales. It was travelling to Aberporth, a village in Wales, from Ireland, where it was supposed to refuel before flying to Italy. The microlight plane experienced mechanical difficulties, which forced it to land in the sea around 6 pm. A mayday call led RNLI lifeboat crews from New Quay and an HM Coastguard helicopter to respond to the emergency. When they reached the site, they were surprised to see that both passengers were sitting on the wing of the plane wearing lifejackets. They had no visible injuries but were shocked by the crash.
They were taken to the shore in a lifeboat, where the Welsh Ambulance Service checked them before transporting them to the hospital. They remained in the hospital for a night and returned to Ireland on a ferry after being discharged the next day. New Quay RNLI Coxswain, Bernie Davies, said that after receiving the emergency calls from Milford Haven Coastguard, they quickly located the wreckage of the aircraft. "Both passengers were found floating in the water, sitting on top, wearing lifejackets," he said.
"The Cardigan crew brought the lifeboat alongside and safely recovered both individuals on board," he added. Both passengers were in an extremely cold state but conscious and responsive, and were provided immediate casualty care. "They were brought ashore at the main pier and handed into the care of the Welsh Ambulance Service before being transferred to hospital," he said. "When we arrived shortly afterwards, RNLI Cardigan transferred both casualties to our lifeboat, where they received further treatment, including hot drinks and ongoing casualty care," he said.
Rees-Tom Jones, New Quay RNLI's navigator, said that one of the people rescued was the neighbour of an Irish rower they saved in 2021. The rescued passengers said they were extremely grateful to the emergency responders.
