RNLI launched 42 times on Island in 2022

Tue, 25 Jul 2023

The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) calls for families to stay safe at the Manx coast as data shows that the charity’s lifeboats were launched 42 times on the Isle of Man last year.

Today (July 25), marks the third World Drowning Prevention Day and the RNLI are urging people to take note of some “key safety advice” following on from the charity’s lifeboat successfully saving two lives in 2022.

Some of the RNLI’s key safety advice to remember this summer is:

• If you get into trouble in the water remember Float to Live; tilt your head back with your ears submerged and try to relax and control your breathing. Use your hands to help you stay afloat and then call for help or swim to safety if you can.
• Call 999 in a coastal emergency and ask for the Coastguard.

Sarah Lewis, RNLI Water Safety Delivery Support, said: “Now the weather is warming up we expect to see a big increase in visitors to the coast and unfortunately this does mean there is likely to be an increase in the number of incidents in the sea.

“Many of the incidents our lifeboat crews attend during the school holidays involve children and teenagers and we would urge everyone – but families in particular – to be aware of the risks and know what to do in an emergency.”

Lewis is advising sea goers to understand how they float as “everyone floats differently”, she says this will help individuals stay calm if they find themselves in trouble in open water.

She added: “If you find yourself in difficulty in the water, remember Float to Live. Tilt your head back with your ears submerged and try to relax and control your breathing. Use your hands to help you stay afloat and then call for help or swim to safety if you can. If you see someone else in difficulty, call 999 and ask for the Coastguard.”

According to Water Incident Database (WAID) there were 226 deaths in the United Kingdom (UK) from accidental drownings in 2022. The data shows that 41 of these were in July and a further 44 in August.

 

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