This Christmas hundreds of Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) volunteer lifeboat crew, will leave festive family celebrations behind to brave rough seas and winter weather to save lives at sea.
Last year saw a large increase in the number of people rescued in Wales, with more people assisted between Christmas Eve and New Years Day than in previous years. With 10 lifeboat launches and nine people rescued, RNLI crews in Wales rescued more people last Christmas than they have in the past five years.
Last year in Wales, RNLI volunteers at Trearddur Bay, The Mumbles, Porthcawl, Beaumaris, Holyhead, and Burry Port were all called into action over the Christmas period. RNLI volunteers at Porthdinllaen had a particularly busy period, offering assistance twice on 29 December and again on 30 December. Wales’ all-weather lifeboats launched five times, rescuing six people, whilst the inshore RNLI lifeboats launched five times and rescued three people.
Last year, there were 88 RNLI lifeboat launches nationally carried out over the Christmas and New Year period*, with the volunteer crews spending a combined total of 602 hours at sea, dealing with everything from fishermen falling overboard to fires breaking out on boats.
RNLI statistics show that the number of call outs during the festive period is rising. Over the last 20 years, RNLI lifeboat launches during this period have increased by 87 per cent. In the last five years alone crews around the British Isles have responded to 457 calls for help, rescuing 240 people, at the one time of year most people are at home with their families.
And this year, the RNLI’s 4,500 volunteer crews will be ready to drop everything as soon as their pagers go off. The call could come while they are opening presents with their family or just as the turkey is about to be carved, yet they are willing to respond at a moment’s notice. They may be called to help those in trouble at sea, and if they are part of the RNLI Flood Rescue Team, they will be on standby to rescue people if any part of the country should suffer the affects of inland flooding.
RNLI Training Divisional Inspector Andy Hurley says:
‘Last year was particularly busy for RNLI volunteers in Wales, and with the rise in the number of people rescued, the demand on the time of our crews also increases. They could be doing anything from opening presents to carving the Turkey when the call comes, but they are always willing to give up what they are doing to put their training into action.
‘The RNLI is proud to have such dedicated volunteers, with such supportive families who spare them at a time when most other families come together. I wish them all a safe and peaceful Christmas and a very Happy New Year.’
The charity’s volunteer crews are on call 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to help save lives not just at sea, but also inland during floods – last month the RNLI’s Flood Rescue Team, sponsored by Goodyear, helped to rescue 300 people from the catastrophic flooding in Cumbria along with other emergency services.
RNLI Operations Director, Michael Vlasto comments:
‘Our lifeboat service receives no UK Government funding and relies on donations. It is thanks to the generosity of the public that we are able to go on providing this service. Their donations and support for events like RNLI SOS Day, help to ensure that our lifeboat crews can continue rescuing people and saving lives, whether inland or at sea.’
Now RNLI volunteer crews are hoping that members of the public will respond to their own ‘SOS’ call this Christmas, by supporting the charity in the run up to its biggest day of fundraising, RNLI SOS Day on Friday 29 January 2010. Anyone can get involved in RNLI SOS Day and have fun on Friday 29 January 2010 and there will be events taking place around the UK and Republic of Ireland, which are open to members of the public.
Visit www.rnli.org.uk/sos to find out how you can get involved or to make a donation.
