The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) have issued a plea for people to take more care around the coast and to respect the water, as figures reveal almost 200 people were rescued in the waters surrounding the Isle of Wight in 2016.
Volunteer lifeboat crews from 39 lifeboat stations in the South East launched a total of 1,981 times last year, rescuing 2,013 people who were in distress. The figures, which have been released today (Wednesday), show lifeboat launches in the region are up by 13% year-on-year. Similarly, the number of people rescued increased by 3% in 2016.
On the Isle of Wight, Bembridge RNLI launched a total of 45 times and rescued 51 people, whilst on the other side of the Island Yarmouth RNLI launched 42 times, rescued 91 people and saved 3 lives. Cowes RNLI launched 60 times and rescued 55 people.
Whilst the RNLI is primarily a frontline rescue service, the charity isn’t just about rescuing people when they find themselves in danger. It aims to equip people with the knowledge and skills to avoid trouble in the first place and know what to do should they find themselves or others in danger in the water.
Glen Mallen, RNLI Lifesaving Manager, said:
“Once again we are extremely grateful for the dedication shown by our lifesavers. Our volunteer lifeboat crews collectively spent in excess of 42,800 hours at sea, but we really do see our rescue service as a last resort.
“We’d really like to see people paying more attention to safety messages and giving the water the heathy respect it deserves. While we will always answer the call for help, I and everyone within the RNLI would like to see people staying safer at the coast.
“We’re calling on anyone visiting the coast to make safety a priority, whether that means wearing a lifejacket, checking their vessel before they go afloat, knowing they should call 999 and asking for the Coastguard in the event of an emergency, checking the tide times before they set out, or staying away from cliff edges and unstable coastal paths”.
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Nationally, the number of lifeboat launches from the 237 lifeboat stations around the entire coast of the UK and Ireland rose 7% from 2015 to 8,851 in 2016, a 5-year high. Lifeguard incidents also increased from 2015 to 2016, up to 17,414. The charity’s lifesavers saved 558 people’s lives last year.
For a wealth of information on how to stay safe on or near the water or to find your nearest lifeguarded beach, visit the RNLI’s website at www.rnli.org.uk.
