#oxwich — Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #oxwich, aggregated by home.social.
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GOWER: A first rescue with his father alongside — new lifeboat volunteer helps save two stranded at Oxwich Point
A new Gower lifeboat volunteer has completed his first rescue — with his father crewing alongside him.
Jay Littlejohns was among the Horton and Port Eynon RNLI crew paged shortly before 10pm on Friday 10 July, at the end of one of the hottest weeks of the year, after HM Coastguard reported two men in difficulty off Oxwich Point.
His father, Jeremy Littlejohns, was on the boat with him, alongside helm Dave Tonge and Alastair Massey.
Rowing until the rocks
The two men, from the Bristol area, had launched an inflatable dinghy with a battery-powered engine from Oxwich early in the afternoon to go fishing.
They had reached Port Eynon Bay when the engine lost power — leaving them to row back towards Oxwich until they were stranded on the rocks at the point.
By the time the lifeboat found them they had run out of water and were exhausted, the RNLI said.
The crew initially searched without success in poor visibility, before the shore Coastguard team pinpointed the men’s position from their mobile phone.
Both men were given water on board, taken back to shore at Oxwich with their boat, and handed over to the Coastguard.
‘Wonderful to see’
Launch authority Claire Payne said: “This was the first rescue for our new crew member Jay and it was great that his father Jeremy was with him on this occasion.”
“It illustrates the importance and involvement of family at RNLI stations. Jay has been training hard and it is wonderful to see his hard work being put to good use.”
She said the hot weather had brought far more people to the beaches and out on the water — “We want to see people enjoying themselves, but safely.”
Her advice to anyone heading out on a powered boat: make sure the engine is serviced and fuelled — and any electric engine adequately charged — and carry water, lifejackets and a means of communication. Anyone in difficulty on or near the coast should phone 999 and ask for the Coastguard.
A busy week on the water
It has been a busy week for the coast’s rescue teams in the heat: Mumbles RNLI rescued two teenagers cut off by the tide after tombstoning near Limeslade on Sunday, Port Talbot Coastguard drove onto the beach near Bay Campus to reach an injured beach-goer on the same Friday evening — and the team treated a jellyfish sting at Aberafan on Wednesday — as south Wales topped the UK’s temperature charts.
The Horton and Port Eynon crew know the coastline’s moods well — three of the station’s volunteers received RNLI commendations for a January rescue during Storm Éowyn.
The station’s shouts regularly involve walkers cut off by the tide at Worms Head — but Friday’s call was a reminder that flat-calm summer seas carry their own dangers.
Related stories from Swansea Bay News
Horton and Port Eynon crew members receive prestigious awards
RNLI commendations for a January rescue during Storm Éowyn.SWANSEA: Soft sand, steep dunes and extreme heat — coastguard 4×4 rescue near Bay Campus
The same Friday evening’s rescue on the other side of the bay.Horton Port Eynon lifeboat crew rescue stranded walkers on Worms Head, Rhossili
Two walkers cut off by the tide at the Gower landmark.American students rescued after becoming stranded on Gower tidal island
#Gower #Horton #Oxwich #OxwichBay #PortEynon #RNLI
Seven day-trippers caught out at Worms Head during Storm Éowyn. -
GOWER: Only four locals took part last year — can Swansea’s own backyard event tempt more to take the plunge this June?
Hundreds of athletes will descend on Gower on 20 June for the third Gritty Rascals Swimrun Gower — an endurance event that takes competitors on a continuous journey of running and open-water swimming along one of the most spectacular stretches of coastline in Britain.
And yet last year, only four people from the local area entered — meaning the vast majority of those experiencing the Gower coast from the water and the clifftops were travelling from elsewhere in the UK or further afield.
Organisers are hoping to change that. “We have competitors travel from across the UK and Europe to compete and this year we’re keen to welcome more local athletes to enter,” said Gary Pavitt, founder of Gritty Rascals Events.
Competitors run along a Gower beach during the Gritty Rascals Swimrun event. (Image: Gritty Rascals Events)Unlike a triathlon, swimrun involves no transition. Competitors run in their wetsuits and swim in their trainers, alternating between cross-country running and open-water swimming throughout the entire race — without changing kit.
This year’s event offers three course lengths. The Sprint Course (12km) is aimed at first-timers and newcomers to the sport. The Gritty Course (21km) offers a half-marathon equivalent for those wanting a stiff challenge.
The Full Course (41km) — starting at Rhossili Bay and finishing in Mumbles — is the ultimate test, and has this year been designated an ÖTILLÖ Merit Race, allowing competitors to earn global ranking points towards the Swimrun World Championships.
Competitors pause on the rocky shoreline near Mumbles lighthouse during the Gritty Rascals Swimrun Gower. (Image: Gritty Rascals Events)The Full Course takes competitors on a route most locals will recognise stretch by stretch — a technical swim from Tears Point to Mewslade Bay, cliff top running to Port Eynon, a crossing of Port Eynon Bay, then on through Oxwich, around Tor Point, into Pwll Du, across to Brandy Cove, Caswell Bay, Langland Bay and Rotherslade before a final climb up Mumbles Hill to the finish line.
Competitor Stacey Bramhall, who is also involved in promoting the event, said the experience of seeing Gower from both the coastal path and the water was unlike anything else.
“There is honestly nothing quite like the perspective of seeing Gower’s beauty from the coast path and the water,” she said. “The sense of achievement when you finish the race makes it all 100% worth doing.”
A competitor swims underwater during the Gritty Rascals Swimrun Gower event, still wearing their race vest and goggles. (Image: Gritty Rascals Events)For those nervous about the swimming sections, the organisers point to an extensive water safety team who are in the water throughout. “We have a huge support team who are in the water for every stroke to support swimmers whether it’s their first swimrun or fifth,” said Pavitt.
Transport to the start lines is provided, with all courses finishing back in Mumbles. The event hub, registration and finish line are all based there, giving spectators a base for the day.
The Gritty Rascals Swimrun Gower takes place on Saturday 20 June 2026. Registration is open now at grittyrascals.com.
Related stories from Swansea Bay News
Gower news from Swansea Bay News
The latest stories from Gower and the surrounding area.Mumbles news from Swansea Bay News
#BrandyCove #CaswellBay #funRun #Gower #GrittyRascals #LanglandBay #Mumbles #MumblesHill #Oxwich #PortEynon #PwllDu #RhossiliBay #Rotherslade #SwimRun #TorPoint
All our latest coverage from Mumbles. -
This is Oxwich Bay at night. Orion's Belt is in the middle, Sirius to the bottom left of Orion and Mars to the top right. The green in the sky is airglow and there is a hint of the Milky Way running diagonally across the photo.
https://www.dansantillo.com/gallery/gower/?photo=DS_300826
#photography #oxwichbay #swansea #wales #cymru #gower #oxwich #oxwichbayhotel #nightsky #astrophotography #orion #orionsbelt #sirius #mars #stars #starrysky
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This is Oxwich Bay at night. Orion's Belt is in the middle, Sirius to the bottom left of Orion and Mars to the top right. The green in the sky is airglow and there is a hint of the Milky Way running diagonally across the photo.
https://www.dansantillo.com/gallery/gower/?photo=DS_300826
#photography #oxwichbay #swansea #wales #cymru #gower #oxwich #oxwichbayhotel #nightsky #astrophotography #orion #orionsbelt #sirius #mars #stars #starrysky
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