One dead, one missing after fishing boat sinks off west Wales

A fisherman has died and another is still missing after a boat sank off the coast of west Wales.

The alarm was raised on Thursday after members of the public spotted a vessel in trouble near St David's Head, Pembrokeshire.

One man was pulled from the water, while a major operation was launched to find his shipmate.

Dyfed Powys Police confirmed later that the man who was taken to hospital has since died, while RNLI officials said the search to find the other man has been scaled down.

A lifeboat spokesman said: "Lifeboats were first tasked to launch at 2.30pm yesterday (Thursday April 28) to search for the crew of a fishing boat which hit rocks a mile offshore off Abereiddy beach and subsequently sank.

"One person was taken out of the water and taken to hospital yesterday by HM Coastguard.

"Dyfed-Powys Police confirmed today they had sadly died.

"Five RNLI lifeboats involved in the multi-agency search off the Pembrokeshire coast have since returned to station after the search was scaled back by HM Coastguard.

"Our volunteer lifeboat crews, working alongside the HM Coastguard Rescue Teams, covered a large area of sea in difficult conditions for more than 15 hours yesterday and today to search for the remaining missing person, but unfortunately they were not located."

The vessel is believed to be The Harvester, from Milford Haven.

Eyewitnesses have reported finding wreckage from the boat over a four-mile area.

Dyfed-Powys Police has asked people with any information to come forward.

Sergeant Gareth Walters added: "Specialist officers are continuing to support the families involved in this tragic incident."