We were all out on the water!
The RNLI say the August Bank Holiday weekend was their busiest weekend of the year so far, with lifeboat crews launching more than 160 times.
Crews were called to the aid of leisure craft with engine failure, as well as suffering lack of fuel or having propellers entangled in mooring lines or fishing nets.
RNLI Sea Safety Manager Peter Chennell said: “The RNLI advises all recreational marine users to check their engine and fuel prior to departure.
“Checking the weather is also vital – at the weekend a motorboat had to be rescued off Pentire Point, Cornwall, when its crew lost their bearings in dense fog.
“Other top safety tips include wearing a lifejacket, ensuring you’ve got some means of calling for help, and letting someone on shore know where you are going.”
The Beaumaris RNLI lifeboat crew rescued three teenagers in a dinghy who were three quarters of a mile away from the shoreline of the Menai Strait in Wales.
In Kent the Whitstable lifeboat crew rescued two teenagers in a toy inflatable dinghy half a mile offshore.
RNLI lifeguards were equally busy across beaches in the south and east of England with thousands of people flocking to the seaside to enjoy the good weather.
To help RNLI lifeguards and lifeboat crews, families are encouraged to be ‘Beachwise’ by always choosing to swim at a lifeguard patrolled beach and remembering the simple FLAGS message to help them stay safe if they plan to swim:
Find the Red and Yellow flags, and swim between them
Look at the safety signs
Ask a lifeguard for advice about where it’s safe to swim
Get a friend to swim with you
Stick your hand in the air and shout for help if in difficulty.
For more information on beach safety email beachsafety@rnli.org.uk or visit rnli.org.uk/beachsafety for downloadable factsheets.
