18/02/2004
RNLI rescue 164 people during 2003
Northern Ireland lifeboats rescued 164 people during 2003, new figures revealed today.
The latest rescue statistics showed that RNLI lifeboats in Northern Ireland were launched a total of 198 times during 2003 and that Portrush was the busiest of the province's lifeboat station's with 52 launches.
Lifeboat figures for the whole of the UK showed a record total of 8,047 launches (an annual increase of 7%) rescuing 7,815 people – an average of 21 people every day.
Commenting on the figures RNLI operations director, Michael Vlasto, said: "The steady increase in the number of rescues is a cause for concern and as such the RNLI is actively pursuing preventative initiatives to reduce the number of potentially life threatening incidents that occur around the coast.
"We believe this trend is due to a number of factors, such as the changing patterns of sea use by the public, improved search and rescue techniques and the dramatic growth in the use of mobile telephones among the public – and particularly for 2003, the long, hot summer."
It costs £290,000-a-day to run the RNLI - a total of £107 million last year.
(MB)
The latest rescue statistics showed that RNLI lifeboats in Northern Ireland were launched a total of 198 times during 2003 and that Portrush was the busiest of the province's lifeboat station's with 52 launches.
Lifeboat figures for the whole of the UK showed a record total of 8,047 launches (an annual increase of 7%) rescuing 7,815 people – an average of 21 people every day.
Commenting on the figures RNLI operations director, Michael Vlasto, said: "The steady increase in the number of rescues is a cause for concern and as such the RNLI is actively pursuing preventative initiatives to reduce the number of potentially life threatening incidents that occur around the coast.
"We believe this trend is due to a number of factors, such as the changing patterns of sea use by the public, improved search and rescue techniques and the dramatic growth in the use of mobile telephones among the public – and particularly for 2003, the long, hot summer."
It costs £290,000-a-day to run the RNLI - a total of £107 million last year.
(MB)
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