Emergency services thanked for their ‘swift action’ following Porthcawl plane crash

Witnesses to the incident have described how they saw the plane ‘swoop into the water’ and overturn while the tide was still incoming at around 9.20am.

The pilot, who was travelling alone, was supported by crews from RLNI lifeboats which launched from both Porthcawl and Port Talbot as South Wales Police, the Welsh Ambulance Service and South Wales Fire And Rescue all arrived at the scene.

Chris Page, RNLI Lifeboat Press Officer at Porthcawl said: “RNLI volunteer crews never quite know what to expect when the call for help comes.

“We are trained to deal with every eventuality, but were incredibly relieved to arrive on scene to find the pilot was able to be safely recovered.

“This was a real multi-agency effort between the fire service, police, ambulance service, the Coastguard and the RNLI.”

Bridgend Council Leader, Huw David said: “I’d like to recognise and thank our frontline emergency services for their swift response to this morning’s incident in which a light aircraft crashed in shallow waters off the coast of Porthcawl.

“Thankfully, the pilot was safely recovered from the wreckage and is now receiving care and support.

“The scene of the crash has been secured to prevent it from becoming a danger to navigation, and the Air Accidents Investigation Branch is currently investigating the cause of the incident. While accidents such as this are thankfully rare, our emergency front-line services can always be relied upon to act quickly, and to provide effective help and support.”

(Lead image: Porthcawl RNLI)