South West lifeguards saved a total of 72 lives last year
New data has revealed RNLI lifeboats in the South West launched 1,505 times in 2023, an increase of 6% on 2022
Last updated 8th Apr 2024
A total of 72 lives were saved by lifeboat crews and lifeguards across the South West last year - more than one life saved for every week of the year.
Today (Monday 8 April) the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) has released its rescue figures for 2023.
Across the UK and Ireland the charity’s lifeboats were launched more than 1,500 times in 2023, an increase on the number of launches in 2022.
The RNLI data – captured between January and December 2023 – highlights the continuing demand in the South West for the services of volunteer lifeboat crews, with 1,146 lifeboat launches over the course of the year. RNLI lifeboat crews saved the lives of 38 people over the course of 2023, whilst the charity’s beach lifeguards saved 16 lives.
One person who knows first-hand the value of RNLI lifesavers is dad-of-three Matt Windsor from Bude. On a June day, he had planned to go out on his kayak at sea for the first time on a fishing trip with a fellow kayaker. Initially it was a calm day and conditions were good, but that changed quickly.
Attempting to deploy his anchor in order to start fishing, Matt was hit side-on by a wave and got knocked off his kayak.
He said: ‘The water was so cold, it took my breath away and I knew instantly I was in trouble, it was like daggers all over my body.’
The pair eventually righted Matt’s kayak, but then he couldn’t get himself back on board. After struggling in the water for almost an hour, Matt was losing strength and his body temperature was dropping significantly.
Matt said: ‘I thought I was going to die, I could feel it all slipping away. The cold had got to me so badly, I felt so heavy, like I was sinking. I reached into my chest pocket - and I did the only thing I could do which was to push the Mayday button on the radio.’
Matt’s friend managed to tie the two kayaks together and get Matt to a nearby cove, but he was still in danger of becoming hypothermic. Luckily, the RNLI and a coastguard helicopter had been tasked and volunteers from Ilfracombe RNLI arrived just in time.
Matt said: ‘I was very close to losing my life, and if it wasn’t for a that Mayday call and the RNLI, things could have been very different.’
The RNLI is now putting out its own ‘Mayday’ call, urging the public to take part in the Mayday Mile – taking on the challenge of covering a mile-a-day during the month of May. All money raised will help to support the charity’s vital lifesaving service. The intensive training that the crew undergo, and the boats and equipment that helped them to rescue Matt so quickly, are only made possible thanks to the generous support of the public.
Adrian Carey, Head of Region for the south west at the RNLI, said: ‘This year, the RNLI has been saving lives at sea for 200 years. We’re now coming up to 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 into the future.
‘Our incredible lifeboat crews across the UK and Ireland launched over 9,000 times last year to help those in need, and our lifeguards kept people safe across hundreds of beaches. As a charity, we rely on the generous support of members of the public to continue this lifesaving work.
‘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 in. Every Mayday Mile completed will raise funds to go towards ensuring we are ready whenever the call for help comes in. It’s so easy to get involved, and to have fun whilst helping the RNLI save lives.’
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.