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THE RNLI’S LIFEBOAT crews launched 1,089 times last year – bringing 1,414 people to safety.
While lifeboat launch figures remain largely the same as last year there has been a 10% increase in the amount of people brought to safety and more people are getting into difficulty on leisure crafts.
RNLI Operations Manager Owen Medland said: ‘Almost half of the call outs last year were to leisure vessels and of these call outs many were to boats run aground and engine problems.
Breaking down at sea or on a lough can be a frightening experience. Weather and darkness can turn a bad situation very serious in a matter of minutes. Nobody who sets out thinks anything bad will happen but calling for help early is always the right choice.
The types of call outs that the RNLI responded to last year included aid to leisure craft users (536), assistance to fishing vessels (140) help to people who got into difficulty along the shoreline (119) and to people in the water (185).
The RNLI released a video looking back at the year:
The busiest lifeboat station in Ireland last year was Lough Ree RNLI in Athlone. The charity’s lifeboat crew launched 69 times and brought 142 people to safety.
This was followed by Howth RNLI which had 62 launches and brought 107 people to safety – which made it their busiest year ever.
Enniskillen RNLI on Lough Erne, which operates two separate lifeboat stations on the upper and lower lough, also had a busy year with 59 calls for assistance and 57 people brought ashore.
Last year the charity marked 190 years of lifesaving and the RNLI is aiming to reduce coastal drowning significantly by 2024.
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Hats off to these chaps.Real heroes.
and chapesses….
Why the red thumbs to your true true comment?
I wonder if this indicates that people don’t give our waterways the respect that they give to our seas?
Because some people were born A holes and some learned how to be A holes
You’re simply the best.
Royal National Lifeboat Institution
One of the few organizations doing great work on both sides of the border…
What about Sinn Fein?
What about it?
Not surprised Lough Ree was the busiest. Very dangerous lake if you don’t know it, full of hire cruisers in the hands of tourists let loose on the river with only ten minutes training.
Well done to all the RNLI crews. It takes some dedication to leave your warm beds on a wet stormy night and put out to sea to save others. These volunteers dont get half the credit they deserve.
Hero’s every one of them.
Agree John even though I was one of those tourists. Hired a small cruiser a few years ago for a week with the wife. Couldn’t believe how bad it got while crossing Lough Ree, it was worse than been out at sea!
Great organisation. Would love to have the time to be a crew member.
Don’t leave your money to the ungrateful kids leave to the RNLI!!
I’d love to have the sea legs for it. I get seasick looking at a boat.
Bravo, a very cheering tale after reading about the carry-on of some of our citizens.
Real heroes!
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