The Institution is re-analysing its records to investigate the causes of loss of life at sea. Some interesting facts are emerging.The RNLI exists for one simple reason - to save lives at sea. In the pursuit of that seemingly simple goal it has made great strides in improving its lifeboats, training its crews, providing more sophisticated communications and modernising its shore facilities and back-up services to improve further the service which it provides.The RNLI has never been slow to adapt to the changing pattern of casualties, and regular reviews analyse its lifeboat coverage and look into the future for possible changes.

Continually looking ahead, the RNLI's next logical step was to look beyond the lives it already saves, and to identify the areas where lives are still being lost. It was this line of thought which led the Institution to commission a study by Marplan during 1991 into the number of deaths by drowning off the coasts of the UK and Ireland.

There are no centralised statistics for water-related deaths, and the records of the three main organisations involved - the RNLI, HM Coastguard and the Royal Life Saving Society (RLSS) - overlap to some degree.

In general there was a close correlation between RNLI and HMCG records enabling a reasonably accurate picture of deaths still occurring in waters covered by the Institution to be built up.

Marplan were able to establish that over the last ten years an average of 160 people per year lost their lives in coastal water-related deaths, and that commercial fishing vessels accounted for 20% of those deaths. Interestingly the number of deaths related to powered pleasure craft accounted for a further 12%, compared with 5% for sailing pleasure craft - despite the fact that the RNLI launches more often to sailing vessels and saves more lives from them.

The results persuaded the RNLI that there was a need to monitor waterrelated deaths in more detail to examine the causes and perhaps explore ways of reducing them.

The bare statistics of deaths at sea are the tip of the iceberg of emergencies.

Analysing those deaths, it was reasoned, would provide an important insight into the causes of accidents at sea, highlighting danger areas and perhaps providing some clues for preventative measures.

As a result the statistics already held on the RNLI computer database were re-analysed to see if they could provide any clues. Lifeboat launches where deaths were involved were analysed by the type of casualty, the cause of the services, the wind strength and by the number of deathsrelated to those launches.

Work is continuing on this mammoth task, but the results of the categories examined so far have thrown up some interesting points, although it is still far too early to draw hard and fast conclusions.

Fishing vessels accounted for 20% of deaths by Marplan's figures, andre-analysing the RNLI's figures for this type of vessel showed a steady growth in the number of launches to fishing vessels in the ten-year period, but the number of lives lost shows no clear correlation.

The loss of life in different weather conditions does follow a pattern - peaking in Force 3 winds. Very strong winds are relatively unusual and most small vessels seek shelter when the weather is very bad. On reflection most fishing could be expected to be carried out in winds under Force 8, where the majority of deaths occur, and it would seem that the hazards of fishing play a greater part in tragedy than stress of weather.

The loss of life in different types of incident is more readily ascertained, with 'capsize' by far the greatest cause.

Capsize could imply the complete loss of the vessel, and it is perhaps this which leads to the greatest loss of life.

Commercial vessels (excluding fishing vessels) also show some interesting results when re-analysed.

The number of launches where deaths have been involved shows a slight overall rise over the past ten years, but with random peaks. The number of lives lost is equally unpredictable, but a commercial vessel can carry a large crew and one incident resulting could cause a significant peak.

The figures for deaths involving commercial vessels in different weather conditions are also difficult to interpret, being naturally spread except for a significant peak at Force 7. As by far the greatest cause of loss of life in this category is 'man overboard' could this be the point at which falling overboard becomes more likely and recovery more difficult? Further detailed analysis would be needed to explore this hypothesis.

In the powered pleasure craft category there are some interesting trends. A steady increase in lifeboat launches to this type of casualty is to be expected, although they seem to have reached a plateau over the past two years. However, the number of deaths shows no clear pattern.

Weather conditions correlate with what might be expected of vessels not normally at sea in the worst weather, with the majority of launches and lives lost in the middle weather range.

The number of incidents peaks at Force 3 and the associated death toll probably reflects the large number of vessels 'at risk'.

A massive peak of lives lost comes at Force 5, encountered fairly frequently during a boating season but in fact quite rough weather for a small boat in the open sea. Again 'capsize' is the greatest single cause of incidents.

Further investigation would be needed to seek out any correlation between the weather and the cause of the incident, but with such massive peaks at 'capsize' and Force 5 it seems quite possible that there is a link.Once again conclusions are hard to draw, but perhaps many casualties are not capable of coping with, or well enough prepared for, the stronger wind and seas encountered during a boating season.

Further analysis of the RNLI's valuable, and probably unique, record of casualties at sea will continue, exploring any useful avenues encountered.

For, in addition to maintaining a lifeboat fleet capable of coping with today's casualties, the RNLI feels that it may be able to help reduce, and to react even more effectively to, tomorrow's casualties by finding a pattern to the causes of deaths at sea.

It will also ensure that all authorities responsible for safety at sea are kept abreast of its findings..