8,273 times compared to 7,656 the previous year

[sailorman]

Search and rescue statistics published by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) show that 2005 was its busiest year on record. RNLI lifeboats launched /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif - an 8 per cent increase nationally.

More significantly, launches in the south west of England and Wales more than doubled this trend and have increased 16% and 15% respectively.

Michael Vlasto, RNLI Operations Director comments:

'Considering that 68 per cent of the people we rescued last year were rescued from pleasure craft1, it's no surprise that the busiest coastal RNLI lifeboat station is once again Poole, in the south, with 147 launches listed. The volunteer crews there rescued 145 people in distress.

Approximately 451,000 boats (over 2.5 m) are kept in the UK and 90,000 UK-owned boats are kept abroad. The number of foreign owned boats kept in the UK is estimated at 16,000. A British Marine Federation survey amongst 6,000 people in the general population established that the true UK participation figure is approximately 3.5 million people, aged 16 and over.

Yachting Monthly, 20 February 2006

 

[Koeketiene]

[ QUOTE ]

More significantly, launches in the south west of England and Wales more than doubled this trend and have increased 16% and 15% respectively.


[/ QUOTE ]

Maybe they should radiocheck more often?

After all, if they come in every WE regular as clockwork, and all of a sudden they stop... you're bound to assume something's wrong!

 

[ccscott49]

Pardon?

 

[jimboaw]

Must be Global Warming (or more money than brains)?

 

[pvb]

Do they differentiate...

Do they differentiate between "rescued" and "towed in when the engine wouldn't start just outside the harbour on a calm day"? Or between "in distress" and "inconvenienced"? Statistics don't give the real story.

 

[Bat21]

Re: Do they differentiate...

Perhaps the provision of "Beach Rescue" and "Life Guards" has distorted the figures.

 

[snowleopard]

I don't believe it's down to more people getting into trouble. More likely the coastguard sending out one or more lifeboats if in doubt.

We once had one sent out to us by the CG despite us specifically saying it wasn't needed (not that it wasn't good to see them when they came over the horizon!)

 

[harvey]

Re: Do they differentiate...

You're quite right.... there is no differentiation between rescues of people in the water and those inconvenienced and needing a tow. That figure of 147 is the number of times the lifeboat is sent out to assist. I live next door to the second busiest station last year (Weymouth) and it's very seldom they get called out to actually save a life although sometimes the situation might well degenerate into lifesaving in time. They do end up as a towing service as often as not and this adds to the stats. As an aside, it surprises me the number of those rescued who don't even come along later and thank the crew let alone buy them all a beer or give a donation....