RNLI Torbay Volunteers launch 92 times in 2018
Figures released today (Friday 12 April) show that the RNLI Torbay volunteer lifeboat crew were paged and assembled at the Lifeboat station 109 times in 2018. Over 50% of the 92 launches were made outside office hours.
The RNLI Torbay crew cover a large area with the station’s All Weather and Inshore lIfeboats. The Torquay area accounted for the largest proportion of call outs in 2018 with 29. The volunteers were called out to assist people 24 times in Brixham, 16 in Paignton, 11 in the stretch between Berry Head and the River Dart and 12 shouts were to incidents offshore.
The most distant call-out was on 16 October at 22.21 when the crew of the Torbay All Weather Lifeboat were called to a 15 metre fishing boat with a fouled propeller 28 miles East of Berry Head. The ALB towed the boat back to Brixham and were out on this night time shout for six hours.
Night time call outs are all part of the job for Torbay’s volunteer crew and they launched 12 times between the hours of 11pm and 8am in 2018.
Mark Criddle, RNLI Torbay Coxwain said, “Behind the figures are our amazing volunteers who stop what they are doing, whatever the time of day, to race down to the station. They rescued hundreds of people at sea last year and we are very proud of everything they do.”
Key facts about the RNLI
The RNLI charity saves lives at sea. Its volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service around the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland coasts. The RNLI operates 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and more than 240 lifeguard units on beaches around the UK and Channel Islands. The RNLI is independent of Coastguard and government and depends on voluntary donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824, its lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved over 146,000 lives.
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