POOLE RNLI lifeboat station was the busiest in the region last year with 121 launches – up on 99 in 2013.

Annual figures just released by the Poole-based life-saving charity show that 2014 was another busy year for the volunteer crews in the South West with lifeboats launched 1,560 times and 1,659 people rescued – the highest since 2011.

The Poole station, which celebrates its 150th anniversary this year, was the busiest of the 35 stations in the region. Plymouth was second busiest with 109 launches and Falmouth third with 95.

Poole’s volunteer crew spent a total of 672 hours at sea – saving three lives. Mudeford station saw 81 launches, with the volunteer crew saving six lives, and spending 283 hours at sea.

There were 54 launches in Swanage, where volunteer crew members spent 293 hours at sea, and saved one life.

Dorset’s 21 RNLI-lifeguarded beaches saw 2,149 incidents, and lifeguards assisted 2,262 people and saved eight lives. Bournemouth West and East beaches combined were the busiest with 377 incidents over the summer, while on Sandbanks in Poole they dealt with 200 incidents.

Richard Weeks, divisional operations manager, said: “The statistics revealed today show another busy year for our volunteer lifeboat crews and illustrate their dedication to saving lives at sea.

“Not only did they 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.”

The most common launches of 2014 for the South West’s lifeboats were to sailing boats with 344 incidents, followed by powered pleasure craft with 326 callouts.

Machinery failure accounted for the largest number of these callouts with 300 incidents – an increase on last year.