WITH spectacular weather expected to draw large numbers of beachgoers to Ceredigion this weekend, the RNLI have warned of the dangers of jumping from height off rocks.

Last summer RNLI Lifeguards and the Cardigan lifeboat responded to an incident where a teenager injured while ‘tombstoning’ at Aberporth had to be airlifted to hospital.

The Cardigan lifeboat crew also responded to an incident where an adult was injured jumping at nearby Mwnt.

Cardigan-based Sam Trevor, the RNLI’s Lead Lifeguard Supervisor who covers 10 lifeguarded beaches along the coast from Newport Sands to Borth, said they were hoping such incidents would not be repeated.

“Jumping into the sea presents some hidden dangers,” he told the Tivy-Side.

"Deep water can quickly become shallow water with a dropping tide. People may be unaware of how the tide works and end up in some difficulty with potential fatal consequences.

"There can be hidden slabs of rock or other objects just beneath the surface that may not be visible.

"Even at the height of summer the sea is cold in the UK and the effect of cold water shock are a danger.

"The effect of the cold water causes a person to gasp and literally takes your breath away. This can cause a person to panic and can make it very difficult to stay afloat."

Meanwhile Dyfed-Powys Police have been warning about the dangers of tombstoning this month after an unconscious man, who was not breathing, was pulled from the water in Tenby.

The 23-year-old had got into difficulty after jumping off the cliff into the water, and after being pulled from the water onto the rocks, he was unconscious and not breathing.

Tenby's RNLI inshore lifeboat, Georgina Taylor, was launched, and an ambulance and police were also called to the the beach, opposite St Catherine's Island.

RNLI volunteers administered CPR to the man and he regained consciousness, before being taken in the lifeboat to the harbour, where he was met by an ambulance.

The lifeboat crew assisted paramedics in getting the casualty onto the stretcher and into the ambulance, before he was then taken to Withybush Hospital.

Inspector Gavin Howells said: "This incident highlights the serious danger posed by tombstoning or cliff jumping, and the potentially life-threatening consequences.

"We urge people not to take part in this sort of activity anywhere along our coastline, and not to put themselves or the emergency services at risk for a thrill.

"We would like to thank our colleagues at the RNLI for their swift response to this incident, and for their actions, which most likely saved this man's life."