Torbay RNLI’s lifeboats launch nine times in 10 days
Following a comparatively quiet period earlier this year, Torbay RNLI’s volunteer crew responded to nine incidents in a 10-day period over the last fortnight.
In the incidents, referred to as ‘shouts’ by the RNLI, both the lifeboat station’s Severn-class All Weather Lifeboat (ALB) and D-class Inshore Lifeboat (ILB) were used. The shouts included transferring a casualty from rocks in Torquay using the ILB crewed by three volunteers to a waiting ambulance in Torquay Harbour. Another shout saw the ALB crewed by seven volunteers towing a stricken 24m fishing vessel out of shipping lanes east of Berry Head in stormy seas back to Brixham Harbour during the night time.
Recently published national data from the RNLI showed the Torbay Lifeboat Station, located in Brixham Harbour and covering the area including the English Riviera holiday beaches and coastline, to be one of the country’s busiest, responding to 161 incidents in 2024 with the volunteer crew saving 11 lives and aiding 113 people.
Andrew Medley, Coxswain at Torbay RNLI’s Lifeboat Station commented, ‘With the sunny but breezy conditions, added to the start of the holiday season, we saw a corresponding increase in operational taskings within the bay and off our coast. Last week’s shouts demonstrate the professionalism, commitment and readiness of our local volunteer crew. Throughout the first three months of the year, our 30 volunteer crew have undertaken over 300 hours of training and are ready to respond within 10 minutes of a call being received.’
Next year, the Torbay RNLI Lifeboat Station will celebrate 160 years of Saving Lives at Sea in and around Torbay.
Notes to editors
Torbay Lifeboat Station has been operating since 1866. To learn more about the lifeboat station go to: https://rnli.org/find-my-nearest/lifeboat-stations/torbay-lifeboat-station
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The RNLI charity saves lives at sea. Its volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service around the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland coasts. The RNLI operates 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and more than 240 lifeguard units on beaches around the UK and Channel Islands. The RNLI is independent of Coastguard and government and depends on voluntary donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824, its lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved over 146,000 lives.
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