A large rescue operation took place off the Ceredigion coast in the Gwbert area on Friday
10:29, 27 Jun 2026Updated 14:49, 27 Jun 2026
This light aircraft crash-landed in the sea off the Ceredigion coast on Friday evening (Image: New Quay RNLI)
Two people had to be dramatically rescued after a small aircraft was forced to crash-land in the sea a short distance from the Welsh coastline.
The incident happened on Friday evening near Cardigan Island, an uninhabited nature reserve off the coast of Gwbert in Ceredigion, a short distance from the Cliff Hotel and Spa.
A microlight – a lightweight, fixed-wing, or weight-shift aircraft – got into difficulty and ditched into Cardigan Bay at around 6pm, according to coastguards.
Two people onboard were found at sea sitting on the wing of the aircraft.
An ambulance at the scene on Friday evening (Image: New Quay RNLI)
They were taken to shore in a lifeboat and handed over to the Welsh Ambulance Service who had been called to the scene along with RNLI crews from New Quay and Cardigan and a coastguard rescue helicopter. Read the biggest stories in Wales first by signing up to our daily newsletter.
No details have been confirmed about any injuries sustained but it’s thought the two people were not seriously injured.
New Quay and Cardigan RNLI crews were involved in the rescue operation (Image: New Quay RNLI)
A spokesman for the coastguard said: “We received a report at around 6pm on Friday of a microlight, with two people on board, that had ditched into the water approximately nine nautical miles north west of Cardigan Island, Pembrokeshire.
“A coastguard rescue helicopter, RNLI lifeboats from Fishguard, New Quay, and Cardigan, and the ambulance service were all sent.
“The two people were located sitting on the wing of the microlight.
“They were recovered by a lifeboat and taken to shore where they were passed into the care of the ambulance service.”
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