According to the RNLI's annual figures, its crews saved a record number of people around the coast last year. Volunteers rescued 1,022 people in 2006 - the first time more than 1,000 people have been saved in a year - and equivalent to one rescue every eight-and-a-half hours!
When you read these numbers think souls, people, like you and me.
Scottish lifeboats launched 1,049 times last year, also a record in Scotland.
Scotlands'sTop Five Busiest Stations
1. Broughty Ferry near Dundee - 79 launches, 29 rescues
2. Troon in Ayrshire - 54 launches, 22 rescues
3. Kinghorn on the Forth near Edinburgh -54 launches, 28 rescues.
4. Oban, Argyll - 52 launches, 109 rescues
5. Queensferry on the Forth - 52 launches, 70 rescued
Since Oban is my local paddling area, this made me shudder. Oban's all-weather lifeboat rescued 109 people and that's the highest number of people rescued by any single rescue vessel in the whole of the RNLI!
Most RNLI rescues last year - a fifth of the total - involved sail boats. Next came people in the sea (17%), power boats and jet skis (16%) and fishing vessels (15%).
The busiest RNLI lifeboat station overall was Tower Pier on the River Thames, which launched 344 times and rescued 99 people.
When you read these numbers think souls, people, like you and me.
Scottish lifeboats launched 1,049 times last year, also a record in Scotland.
Scotlands'sTop Five Busiest Stations
1. Broughty Ferry near Dundee - 79 launches, 29 rescues
2. Troon in Ayrshire - 54 launches, 22 rescues
3. Kinghorn on the Forth near Edinburgh -54 launches, 28 rescues.
4. Oban, Argyll - 52 launches, 109 rescues
5. Queensferry on the Forth - 52 launches, 70 rescued
Since Oban is my local paddling area, this made me shudder. Oban's all-weather lifeboat rescued 109 people and that's the highest number of people rescued by any single rescue vessel in the whole of the RNLI!
Most RNLI rescues last year - a fifth of the total - involved sail boats. Next came people in the sea (17%), power boats and jet skis (16%) and fishing vessels (15%).
The busiest RNLI lifeboat station overall was Tower Pier on the River Thames, which launched 344 times and rescued 99 people.