IT WAS AN incredibly busy year for RNLI lifeboats with 980 callouts and 9,826 hours at sea.
The Institution today advised that 905 people were saved by volunteer lifeboat crews over the 12-month period.
The busiest station was on the Dublin coast at Howth as 48 requests for help were received and 60 people brought to safety.
Crosshaven RNLI in Cork launched boats 46 times and assisted 43 people.
Enniskillen, one of Ireland’s two inland RNLI lifeboat stations which operates bases on both Upper and Lower Lough Erne, launched 52 times and brought 46 people to safety.
July and August were the busiest month for rescues. Throughout the year, more than a third of the callouts occurred after nightfall.
The most common reason for the RNLI being called is machinery failure (187). However, 78 vessels in trouble sought assistance, while 74 grounded boats required callouts. Capsizing incidents accounted for 73 callouts.
RNLI Deputy Divisional Inspector Gareth Morrison paid tribute to the lifeboat volunteers.
There were some outstanding rescues last year including that to Rambler 100, in which Baltimore RNLI recovered 16 crewmembers off the upturned hull of the racing boat during the Fastnet race.”
Sadly, there were also some long searches for missing loved ones, he added.
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