A major rescue operation was launched off the Pembrokeshire coast on Tuesday afternoon following an incident involving three rock climbers at St Govan’s Head.
HM Coastguard said it was alerted to the emergency at around 16:00 GMT. The incident is understood to involve three climbers who had fallen on the cliffs.
Rescue teams from Fishguard, St Govan’s and Tenby were deployed, alongside an HM Coastguard helicopter and a helicopter from the Irish Coastguard. Two Wales Air Ambulances were also sent to the scene. An RNLI lifeboat from Angle joined the response, with Dyfed-Powys Police in attendance.
HM Coastguard said it was responding to an incident involving three fallen climbers at St Govan’s Head.
St Govan’s Head lies within the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, where limestone cliffs rise up to 40 metres (131ft) above the sea. The exposed headland is a popular but challenging destination for climbers.
There are thought to be as many as 300 recognised climbing routes in the area, with some graded beyond Hard Very Severe up to Extreme 8.
Several routes — including “Army Dreamers”, “Tactician” and “The Butcher” — are described as “classics” by UK Climbing.
However, parts of the cliff are known for unstable rock, and access is restricted during the spring and summer months to protect nesting seabirds.
