Dog-walker dies after airlift rescue at Cefn Sidan beach

A dog-walker has died after she was pulled from the water off a Carmarthenshire beach.

She was winched into a RAF rescue helicopter and flown to Morriston Hospital, Swansea, on Sunday after being cut off by water at Cefn Sidan beach 16:24 BST.

Dyfed-Powys Police has confirmed she has since died. The coroner has been told. She and another woman were rescued from the beach with two dogs. The other woman was taken to Glangwili hospital, Carmarthen. Both women are from the Carmarthenshire area, police said.

Swansea coastguard said the alarm was raised when a member of the public alerted them to people with dogs who were stranded on the beach.

Two RNLI inshore lifeboats from Burry Port were called, along with the RAF helicopter from Chivenor in Devon.

A lifeboat pulled the other woman from the water and returned to their base, from where the woman was taken to hospital in Carmarthen by ambulance.

A Burry Port RNLI spokesperson said when a rescue team arrived at the scene, one of the dogs was seen in difficulty in the water.

“Within minutes, approximately 200 yards on from the sighting of the pet dog, the first casualty was spotted in danger in the water,” a statement read.

“With the casualty struggling to remain afloat, having been in the water for nearly an hour, one of the lifeboat crew members entered the water to give urgent assistance by keeping the casualty afloat before aiding them aboard the lifeboat.

“Having been recovered from the water the casualty was given immediate first aid by crew members as the search for the further casualties continued.”

A few minutes later the woman who later died was found by the lifeboat crew and the helicopter was alerted.

Swansea coastguard has said both dogs are being cared for by a vet.

After the incident, the coastguard said: “The tide is very dangerous in the Loughor estuary. The tide does come in very quickly.”