Huge rescue as dinghy blown miles out to sea

A MAJOR air, sea, and land search was launched after an inflatable dinghy with three people on board was blown miles out to sea.

- By OWEN HUGHES Business Correspondent [e-mail]

The small boat had launched from the beach at Colwyn Bay on Sunday afternoon.

They group were carried off-shore by strong winds and quickly got into trouble. Luckily they were able to call 999 on a mobile and a search was launched in difficult conditions.

Coastguard teams searched from the shore while RNLI boats were launched and a National Police Air Service plane took to the skies.

Contact was lost with the group for over an hour with increasing concerns for their safety. But they were able to regain contact and rescuers able to establish a location. Assisted by the police plane, Rhyl Lifeboat located the inflatable nearly three miles north of Llanddulas, and four miles from where they set off.

They were taken to shore and treated for cold.