Fisherman swept into sea off Anglesey beach named after search stood down with no one found

31 July 2023, 19:44 | Updated: 31 July 2023, 19:46

The fisherman who was swept off of rocks at an Anglesey beach has been named as 42-year-old Gareth Bowen.

Bowen entered the water while fishing near Treaddur Bay in North Wales - which led to a wide-ranging search which was stood down on Sunday night with no-one found.

Coastguard, police and RNLI vessels braved rough and windy conditions during the search which was launched on Saturday night.

His mother Lorraine said: "Our family are extremely grateful for the searches and effort undertaken by all of the agencies involved in the searches to find Gareth since Saturday evening."

HM Coastguard confirmed to PA on Sunday: "After an extensive operation, including HM Coastguard rope team members going into the water, was conducted in rough sea conditions and strong winds but no one was found".

RNLI lifeboat worker Andy Hodgson confirmed that crews were launched around 7.05pm on Saturday after they had heard that the person had been taken by the sea while fishing on rocks.

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Hodgson added: "Crews from both our inshore lifeboats searched until midnight, and began searching again at first light today, around 05:30."

Earlier he said that "both boats will continue the search today" before they were stood down this afternoon.

North Wales Police said on Saturday that there was a "serious police incident currently ongoing" at Ravens Point on the beach and asked members of the public "to leave / not to attend the area, as their presence is impeding on the operation there".

The latest reports come after Bournemouth beach saw the deaths of two swimmers in June.

Joe Abbess, 17, and Sunnah Khan, 12, drowned, and eight other people were treated by paramedics after they were suspected to have been caught in a riptide next to the pier at the Dorset seaside resort on May 31.

In a hearing to open the inquest proceedings at Bournemouth Town Hall, Dorset coroner's officer Nicola Muller said that post-mortem examinations carried out by Home Office pathologist Basil Purdue showed the cause of their deaths was drowning.

She said that Joe, a trainee chef, was taken to the Royal Bournemouth Hospital where he was pronounced dead, and Sunnah was taken to Poole General Hospital.

She said that Joe was identified by Detective Constable Hannah Webster by a photograph provided by his family, and Sunnah was identified by her father at the hospital.

Describing the incident, Ms Muller said: "The brief circumstances are that emergency services were contacted by members of the public following swimmers had come into difficulty in the water, following suggestion they had been caught in a riptide."