September 15, 2025 - 454 views
On Saturday, Llandudno's inshore lifeboat rescued a fallen climber near the Little Orme in Llandudno.
With difficult conditions, the crew provided first aid while awaiting the Coastguard helicopter. The casualty and a winchman paramedic were lifted to safety, and the remaining climbers were brought ashore by the lifeboat in pairs.
The lifeboat, carrying four crew members, quickly located the group on the western side of the headland.
The casualty, one of seven climbers, had fallen a significant distance onto a rocky ledge and sustained serious injuries.
With the tide halfway out and falling, the conditions made bringing the lifeboat close to shore extremely hazardous. The helm therefore deployed two crew members ashore with a first aid kit to assess and stabilise the casualty while the boat remained nearby.
Due to the difficulty of extracting the casualty by sea, Coastguard Helicopter 936 was requested. A winchman paramedic was lowered to provide further medical assistance before both casualty and winchman were lifted back into the helicopter. The complex winch operation was made more challenging by the sheer cliff face, along with the strength and direction of the wind.
Once the casualty had been safely evacuated, attention turned to the rest of the group.
Though they had initially planned to climb out, the lifeboat crew offered to take them ashore instead. Working carefully, the crew managed to bring the boat close enough for the six remaining climbers to board in pairs. While the position would never have allowed for a casualty recovery, it was just manageable for the uninjured climbers.
With all climbers accounted for and safely ashore, the lifeboat returned to station.
