370 people saved on coast by RNLI

MORE than 370 people were rescued by the East Yorkshire RNLI crews last year, it has been revealed.

The teams based at Spurn Point, Withernsea and Bridlington rescued 114 people.

Lifeguards patrolling the beaches in Bridlington, Hornsea and Withernsea helped 278 people and gave out beach and water safety advice to 9,180 people.

Martyn Hagan, coxswain at the Humber RNLI station, based at Spurn Point, said: "Generally, it was a quiet year for our crew and for almost every area of the RNLI, the number of jobs was down.

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"I think it was down to the weather, which generally was poor last year. It has not been ideal for leisure sails.

"Throughout the year, we have attended a complete mixed bag of call-outs, from medical evacuations to leisure sails."

The RNLI operates more than 234 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and has more than 160 lifeguard units on beaches around the UK.

Across the UK and Ireland, RNLI lifeboats were launched 8,321 times, rescuing 7,912 people.

Lifeguards responded to 14,519 incidents and helped 16,414 people on beaches in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

In the north of England, 46 per cent of call outs were to recreational craft, 22 per cent to people ashore, 15 per cent to people in the water and 8 per cent to fishing and other commercial vessels.

Overall, the statistics show a 19 per cent decrease in lifeboat launches in the north of England compared with 2011, which was the second busiest year in RNLI history.

Michael Vlasto, operations director for the charity, said RNLI crews in the north of England spent a collective 6,577 hours at sea on service last year and a further 4,307 carrying out training exercises at sea.

He said: "The figures show our volunteers dedicate a huge amount of their time to saving lives at sea.

"To know they are on call 24/7 every day of the year is reassuring for all of us who venture out to sea around the UK and Ireland.

"And it's not just our crew who are committed to our charity – they wouldn't be able to carry out their lifesaving work without the incredible generosity of the public.

"I would like to say a huge thank you to all those who support the RNLI, whether by giving up their time or by making a donation."

The charity will be holding its major annual day of fund- raising on Friday. Visit www. rnli.org/sos for more information about the RNLI SOS Day.