1,000 call-outs last year for our coast’s lifeboats
... and even more incidents for the lifeguards
Heroic Yorkshire Coast rescuers were called out more than 1,000 times last year, despite the country being in lockdown for several months.
The RNLI says the region that includes Scarborough, Filey, Whitby and Bridlington saw lifeboats launched 1,094 times in 2020 – and they saved 36 lives.
For the same area, lifeguards responded to 1,117 incidents and saved five lives.
Across the UK and Ireland, the RNLI’s lifeboat crews and lifeguards saved a total of 349 lives,, equating to almost one a day.
Last summer alone, RNLI lifeboat crews saved 140 lives – an increase of 32 per cent from the previous year – after coronavirus travel restrictions led to people flocking to the coast.
And there were 42 lifeboat launches per day over the summer period across the UK and Ireland, almost double the number launched throughout the rest of the year.
With lockdown restrictions easing once again and huge numbers of people planning seaside staycations, the RNLI is anticipating that summer 2021 could be its busiest yet.
This week saw a group of RNLI volunteers help artists Sand in Your Eye to create a giant sand drawing on Scarborough’s South Bay beach, depicting a Shannon Class lifeboat – the newest class of RNLI lifeboat used by the charity to save lives at sea.
The lifeboat’s bow featured the number 349, to highlight the number of lives that were saved by the charity’s brave lifeguards and lifeboat crews last year.
Adam Sheader, volunteer crew member for RNLI Scarborough, said: “It’s amazing to see the number of people we rescued last year across the UK and Ireland represented by this installation – it makes me very proud to be a volunteer crew member.
“For almost 200 years, we have answered Mayday calls across the UK and Ireland, and my fellow crew members have often risked their lives to help rescue others.
“Heading down to the coast or out on the water during the summer is a great way to have fun and stay active.
“But, if you are not careful, it’s a lot easier to get into trouble in the water than you might think.”
Scarborough RNLI’s shop l has recently reopened after being forced to shut by the pandemic.
Among the many items for sale are greetings cards, teddies, wellies, T-shirts and tops, toys, tea, pickle, marmalade, lifeboat mugs, jigsaws, buckets and spades, bags and tidetimetable books.
The opening hours are between 10am and 4pm Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, and 10am to 1pm on Wednesday.