A PERSON has been taken to hospital after a river rescue in Gwent.

The Severn Area Rescue Association (SARA) lifeboat was launched on Monday, July 11, shortly after midday, after receiving reports of a person in the water near to the M48 Severn Bridge.

Crews from the coastguard are understood to have coordinated the search for the person, and, along with SARA Lifeboat 3, RNLI Portishead, the Coastguard Rescue Teams from Chepstow and Portishead and the Coastguard helicopter were all deployed as part of the search.

An area close to the M4 Prince of Wales Bridge was searched, before efforts took search teams to the mouth of the River Wye “as the tide had turned”.

Here, the casualty was located by the coastguard.

They were winched aboard the helicopter and transported directly to hospital for treatment.

SARA statement in full

Taking to social media, the SARA team at Beachley wrote: “(The) SARA Beachley lifeboat crew were called out yesterday shortly after midday, to reports of a person in the water downstream of the M48 Bridge, and SARA Lifeboat 3 was launched onto the outgoing tide.

“With the Coastguard coordinating a search also involving RNLI Portishead, the Coastguard Rescue Teams from Chepstow and  Portishead and the Coastguard helicopter, we searched an area close to the M4 Second Severn Crossing before being directed to the mouth of the River Wye as the tide had turned.

“As we arrived in the Wye the Coastguard helicopter located the casualty; they were able to winch him aboard directly and transport him to hospital.

“We wish him a good recovery.”