FIGURES announced by the RNLI this week show that 2014 was another busy year for the volunteer crews across the South West.

Throughout the South-West lifeboats were launched 1,560 times and rescued 1,659 people – the highest since 2011.

With approximately seven million people using the region’s beaches throughout the summer, the charity’s lifeguards dealt with 12,064 incidents, aiding 13,586 people and saving 52 lives.

Burnham’s RNLI launched nine times to assist eight people last year; three call outs were in the dark.

In total the local volunteers spent 47 hours at sea during rescue call-outs.

Tom Mansell, divisional operations manager, said: “Not only did volunteers spend the equivalent of 406 days at sea responding to the call of their pager, they collectively gave up 22,000 hours of their time to train on exercise to ensure they are ready to launch to any situation.

“This is a remarkable display of commitment, to which we thank them wholeheartedly and also their families and employers who allow them to carry out their selfless work, whatever time of day and in all weathers.”