More and more of us are spending Christmas on our boats. And thousands of RNLI volunteers around the UK and Republic of Ireland will be on call over the up and coming holiday period.
Last year, from Christmas Eve 2005 to 2 January 2006, volunteer lifeboat crews were called into action 95 times. Over the last 10 years, lifeboats have launched 880 times in these eight days, rescuing nearly 500 people - 78 of them on Christmas day itself.
For example, on Christmas Day last year in Brighton Mark Smith and fellow crew members Conrad Levy and Santosh Burrett launched at 2.13 pm to a man who had fallen into the water from a powerboat.
They found him, pulled him aboard and, discovering he was severely hypothermic, worked with a Coastguard helicopter crew to airlift him to hospital. 'It called on a variety of training, including navigation, recovering a casualty, first aid and winching,” said Mark. “Luckily for me, when I got back home, Christmas dinner was just being served!'
And it's not just lifeboat crews whose thoughts remain with the RNLI at this time of year. Retail volunteers in RNLI shops are busy selling Christmas cards and gifts. And then there are the people who choose to fundraise in other ways - often blowing away those Christmas cobwebs in the process.
These include the hundreds of fancy-dressed swimmers and spectators who brave the elements at Charmouth beach each Christmas to raise money for Lyme Regis lifeboat station - so far to the tune of more than £20,000.
For more information visit www.rnli.org.uk
