MORE than 300 people were rescued at sea last year by lifeboat crews across the area, new figures published today reveal.
Emergency RNLI crews in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight helped a total of 338 people when their lifeboats launched 283 times in 2011.
In total the RNLI rescuers from Calshot, Lymington, Bembridge, Cowes and Yarmouth stations spent 2,131 hours at sea on service. Calshot lifeboat was launched nearly 100 times alone.
The release of the figures comes as the RNLI charity launch an appeal to help fund new lifejackets for volunteer crew members.
Andrew Ashton, divisional inspector for the RNLI East Division, said: “These figures show our lifeboat crews were once again involved in a great many rescues on the seas around the south east of England.
“From capsized rowing vessels to stranded kayakers, from drowning pets to broken down motorboats, from walkers cut off by the tide to sea anglers caught out by bad weather – our crews launch to whoever is in trouble, whenever they’re in trouble.”
