A member of the public and emergency services have been praised following a swift late-night rescue operation, after a "barely conscious" casualty was pulled from the River Conwy.

RNLI volunteers were alerted in the late hours of last night (Tuesday,August 4), after a passerby heard cries for help coming from the water and immediately raised the alarm. A crew was dispatched within minutes, working alongside land-based rescue teams to pinpoint and recover the casualty.

Reflecting on the operation, a Conwy Lifeboat statement said: "At 23:42 last night (Tuesday 4 August), our RNLI volunteer lifeboat crew were paged for an immediate launch following reports from a member of the public that someone was in difficulty in the River Conwy and calling for help.

"A crew of four was quickly assembled while our shore crew prepared the lifeboat for launch. The boat launched at 23:54 and made best speed to the reported location, guided by our colleagues from Llandudno Coastguard Rescue Team, who used torches to help direct the lifeboat to the casualty.

"On arrival, it was immediately clear that the casualty was unable to assist themselves. The casualty was recovered safely onto the lifeboat, where they were found to be barely conscious." Join the North Wales Live Whatsapp community now

"Following a casualty assessment, oxygen was administered before the casualty was returned to the station and transferred into the care of the Welsh Ambulance Service. From the moment the 999 call was answered to the casualty being located and the message being passed that they were safely aboard the lifeboat took just 19 minutes.

"This was an outstanding multi agency response and demonstrates the value of rapid teamwork in a life threatening situation. Once the casualty was enroute to hospital, the lifeboat and recovery equipment were cleaned, refuelled and made ready for service before the crew carried out a thorough debrief.

"A huge thank you to our volunteer boat crew and shore crew for their professionalism and swift response, and to our colleagues at Llandudno Coastguard Rescue Team, HM Coastguard, the Welsh Ambulance Service and North Wales Police for another fantastic joint service effort. Finally, thank you to the member of the public who raised the alarm so quickly. Calling 999 and asking for the Coastguard without delay can make all the difference."

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