Beach goers and water users are being urged to make sure sea conditions are suitable before getting in the water, following the rescue of two sailors who had capsized and fallen out of their boat in strong winds.

At the start of the summer two men were rescued from a capsized sailing boat off Newport Sands.

A strong offshore wind was blowing and the RNLI beach lifeguards were flying a orange windsock to warn of the dangers.

While scanning the sea , the lifeguards spotted a capsized sailing boat roughly a mile out from the shore.

The two men had fallen out of the boat during the capsize. They were struggling to right the vessel and sounded a mayday call to Milford Haven Coastguard.

Senior LRNLI beach lifeguard Neve Davies decided against sending a team member to assist, as the boat was a long way outside of the lifeguard’s response zone of 400m. The strong offshore wind would have made the paddle back to shore very challenging.

Instead she kept a fix on the casualties as Fishguard’s all-weather lifeboat and Cardigan’s inshore lifeboat were tasked to the scene.

On arrival, Cardigan’s crew picked up the casualties and recovered them to shore.

The lifeguards checked them over to assess whether they required any further medical assistance.

They were stayed in the lifeguard unit to warm up and be monitored, before leaving with the appropriate casualty care discharge information.

Peter Austin, Cardigan RNLI lifeboat operations manager, said: “This incident highlights the importance of checking the conditions are safe and suitable before heading out on your chosen craft or activity.

“Please remember to check the tides, wind direction and size of the swell before heading out to sea. Conditions can change very quickly and it’s easy to be caught off guard.

“We always recommend wearing a lifejacket that will help you float and buy you precious time until help arrives. Make sure you always carry a means of calling for help so that if you ever find yourself in difficulty – you can call 999 and ask for the coastguard.”

You can find specific water safety advice for your chosen activity by visiting RNLI.org/safety/choose-your-activity.

If you get into trouble in the water, remember float to Live; tilt your head back with ears submerged and try to relax and control your breathing. Use your hands to help you stay afloat and then call for help or swim to safety if you can. Call 999 in an emergency and ask for the coastguard.