An off-duty lifeguard stripped down to his pants and rushed into the sea after he spotted a swimmer struggling in the water during Storm Boelo.    

Ryder Taylor, 25, was enjoying a beach walk on Langland Bay, near Swansea, with his fellow lifeguard girlfriend Ava, 21, when they saw a man in danger and started to raise the alarm.

However, without hesitation, Mr Taylor ran to the RNLI hut to grab a rescue board and charged towards the crashing waves in just his pants.

Local surfer Chris French was out on the water at the time of the incident and pulled the struggling swimmer onto his board.

Mr Taylor then reached the pair and helped bring them to shore at the beauty spot.  

Tom John, RNLI Lifeguard Supervisor for Swansea, said: 'Ryder and Ava did an incredible job, putting their training and vigilance into action despite being off duty for the season.

'They are a fantastic example of our lifeguards who are always looking out for others in difficulty at the coast.

'There have been numerous incidents recently of people finding themselves in difficulty in the water and local off-duty lifeguards and surfers having to step in and assist people back to shore.'

Mr John added that there are no RNLI lifeguarded beaches across the Swansea coastline, asking beachgoers to make sure to check the tide times and weather conditions.

The UK faced a battering from storms across the weekend – with Boelo following on from Storm Austen.  

Gusts of 60 to 70mph battered parts of Britain early on Sunday, with the most extreme conditions recorded in coastal areas.

Chris Cousens, Regional Water Safety Lead, said: 'If you are planning on visiting the coast during the half term week or winter months, check the tide times before you go. If you can't understand the information on tide tables, ask people who know the area and pay attention to any safety signs.

'Always carry a means of calling for help, like a fully charged mobile phone. If you do get into difficulty, call 999 and ask for the Coastguard.

'If you do get into difficulty in the water, remember to Float to Live. Tilt your head back with your ears submerged in the water, relax and float on your back with your arms and legs spread out like a starfish. 

'Once your breathing is under control, you can signal for help by shouting and waving.'

The extreme conditions are not set to subside just yet, with the third named storm of the season potentially on the horizon. 

Storm Chloe is the next available name on the 2026-27 storm list and, should the weather intensify enough to trigger an amber or red warning, the Met Office will officially declare that the third storm of the season has hit.

The forecaster's amber warning, which signalled Storm Boelo, came to an end at 9pm on Sunday evening after causing chaos over the weekend.

A 60-year-old man was killed when he was hit by a fallen tree in Dumfries before it was confirmed that a man in his 20s had also died after his car was crushed by a falling tree in Mill Hill, north London.

On the Isle of Wight, a 59-year-old woman died after being swept out to sea while walking her dog on a coastal path on the promenade between Sandown and Shanklin.

A three-vehicle crash in Bathgate, West Lothian, during the peak of the storm saw two motorists - a 20-year-old driving a BMW and an 84-year-old man driving a Peugeot - killed at the scene.

The Met Office said the succession of weather systems hitting the UK is being driven by the jet stream, which is 'particularly active'.

Statistics released on Sunday by the Energy Networks Association (ENA) revealed that some 161,400 homes across the country have been left without power, while more than 800,000 have suffered power cuts since Storm Austen hit.