RNLI came to aid of 469 people in NI last year - now charity puts out its own Mayday call

These staggering statistics, released by the charity for the 2024 period, are all the more remarkable as all the crew members are volunteers.

Lifeboats located across the RNLI’s ten lifeboat stations in Northern Ireland launched 206 times in 2024, with volunteer crews coming to the aid of 234 people, 11 of whom were lives saved. Some 59 of those lifeboat launches were carried out in the hours of darkness.

The RNLI’s lifeguards meanwhile, who are located seasonally on beaches along the Causeway Coast and in County Down, responded to 204 incidents, coming to the aid of 235 people, five of whom were lives saved.

With demand for its lifesaving services at a high, the charity is putting out its own ‘Mayday’ call, and urging the public to get involved with its national fundraising event, the Mayday Mile.

Participants are challenged to cover a mile a day for the month of May, with every penny raised helping to make sure that the charity’s lifesavers have everything they need to keep people safe this summer and beyond.

Portrush RNLI Coxswain Perry Walton said: ‘Usually it’s our lifeboats crews heading out to respond to Mayday calls, but now we’re the ones asking for help.

"Thousands of people get into danger on and around the water each year and need our help, but everything we do is only possible thanks to the generosity of our supporters.”

Whether you choose to walk, jog, hop or skip, a mile every day in May will help raise vital funds for RNLI lifesavers, so that they can continue to keep people safe at sea.

Perry added: ‘It’s clear from these new figures that demand for our services remains high, with our lifesavers dropping everything to run to the lifeboat station when the call comes. We’re now heading towards our busiest time of year, so we’re putting out our call for help to raise the funds which will help keep our lifesaving service going today, and allow us to be there when we’re needed most."

To sign up for the Mayday Mile, or to make a donation in support of the RNLI’s lifesavers, visit RNLI.org/supportMayday