Busy year for RNLI in Pembrokeshire despite wet summer (From Western Telegraph)

Busy year for RNLI in Pembrokeshire despite wet summer

12:45pm Wednesday 23rd January 2013 in News

RNLI lifeguards responded to 545 incidents and helped 590 people on Pembrokeshire beaches in 2012.

The busiest RNLI lifeguarded beach in Pembrokeshire was Newgale North, where the charity's lifeguards responded to 102 incidents and helped 114 members of the public.

The six RNLI lifeboat stations in Pembrokeshire launched 254 times and rescued 191 people, spending 2,746 hours at sea.

Angle was the busiest all-weather RNLI lifeboat station in Wales with 34 launches last year. The station also rescued more people than any other of the west Wales stations.

The crew at Fishguard, which launched 27 times last year, spent the most time at sea, with 492 hours spent at sea during the year.

Cardigan had the highest number of launches in the region at 53, compared to 52 in Tenby, 30 in St Davids, 29 in New Quay and a further 29 in Little and Broad Haven.

RNLI regional operations manager for the west Colin Williams said: "Whilst it would be easy to assume the wettest year on record would mean a quieter year for the RNLI, the services of our volunteers have never been more in demand.

"In fact, nearly half the lifeboat stations in Wales saw an increase in launches."