Exmouth’s RNLI lifeboat station has been named the third busiest in the South West

Figures released by the RNLI this week show lifeguards and volunteer lifeboat crews in the region responded to an average of 100 incidents a day over a 92 day period, from June-August.

Exmouth’s lifeboats were launched 35 times during this period, while Poole, in Dorset, was the busiest with 79 launches, and Plymouth’s crew responded to 49 shouts.

RNLI lifeboats in the south west launched to 695 incidents during the summer (741 in 2009), while the charity’s lifeguards responded to 8,581 incidents, including major and minor first aids and lost children - an overall increase of nearly five per cent on the same period last year.

Adrian Carey, RNLI divisional Inspector for the south west, said: “While the overall number of call outs for our lifeboat crews are slightly down on last summer by some 46 launches, our volunteer crews had a very busy season, showing that the lifesaving service they provide is needed as much as ever.”