New rescue figures reveal RNLI came to the aid of over 1,000 people last year
The RNLI has today released its rescue figures for 2024, which show the charity’s lifeboats across the 46 stations in the Irish region, launched over 881 times last year. Volunteer crews brought 1,007 people to safety, 22 of whom were lives saved*. Some 234 of those launches were carried out in the
With demand for its lifesaving services at a high, the charity is putting out its own ‘Mayday’ call, and urging the public to get involved with its national fundraising event, the Mayday Mile. Participants are challenged to cover a mile a day for the month of May, with every cent raised helping to make sure that the charity’s lifesavers have everything they need to keep people safe this summer and beyond.
Ken Cashman, Courtmacsherry RNLI Coxswain says: ‘Usually it’s our lifeboats crews heading out to respond to Mayday calls, but now we’re the ones asking for help. Thousands of people get into danger on and around the water each year and need our help, but everything we do is only possible thanks to the generosity of our supporters.’
Whether you choose to walk, jog, hop or skip, a mile every day in May will help raise vital funds for RNLI lifesavers, so that they can continue to keep people safe at sea.
Ken added: ‘It’s clear from these new figures that demand for our services remains high, with our lifesavers dropping everything to run to the lifeboat station when the call comes. We’re now heading towards our busiest time of year, so we’re putting out our call for help to raise the funds which will help keep our lifesaving service going today and allow us to be there when we’re needed most.’
To sign up for the Mayday Mile, or to make a donation in support of the RNLI’s lifesavers, visit RNLI.org/supportMayday
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Note to Editor
The RNLI defines a life saved as an incident where, had it not been for the intervention of the RNLI, emergency services and/or a third party, a life would have been lost.
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For more information please contact Nuala McAloon, Regional Communications Manager on 0876483547 or [email protected] or Niamh Stephenson, Regional Communications Lead on 0871254124 or [email protected]
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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