RNLI lifeboat crews were responsible for rescuing 6,326 people during 2000.

This continues the extremely encouraging decline in numbers that has been seen over the past few years: real evidence that sea safety messages are starting to have an impact on the number of people getting into trouble in our waters.A; in previous years, Easter 2000 marked the start of the busiest time of year for the RNLI.

Each year, as the weather improves into the summer, sailor-s, swimmers, divers and all manner of other leisure users are tempted out to sea after the cold, wet winter. More sea users inevitably results in more incidents requiring the attention of the lifeboat service. Figures show that in the six months between April and September 2000, lifeboats carried out 4,527 launches, 72% of the services for the year, and rescued 4,962 people, 580 of whom would have been at risk of losing their lives had a lifeboat not reached them.During the summer there were on average 29 lifeboat launches and 32 people rescued every single day Ian Benham, RNLI SEA Check manager, said 'We are delighted that many avoidable accidents have been prevented, resulting in a drop in RNLI callouts. We have a growing team of safety advisers who have provided face-to-face advice and practical safety seminars to boat owners over the last year. Our message is: call the RNLI for sea safety advice before going to sea, so that all sea users can help ensure they have done as much as possible to prevent unnecessary lifeboat callouts.

'We are particularly concerned, however, to note that launches to fishing vessels have increased, with more lives lost. As a lifesaving organisation, we are urgently considering ways in which we can further help improve the safety of fishermen.

'While the reduction in 'lives saved' can be attributed to factors such as the increased speed of our lifeboats, the statistics still show an average of 17 launches and 17 people rescued each and every day of the year. This is a launch by a volunteer crew every 70 minutes, which is far too often. While we provide a first-class lifeboat service, we intend to continue to prevent avoidable accidents by providing a range of free safety publications and services.'There was a small decline in the number of launches to pleasure craft. Lifeboats launched 3,244 times, 52% of all services, with 479 lives saved, 55.7% of all lives saved by lifeboats.

Merchant vessels and tankers were launched to 149 times, 55% of which were carried out in darkness and 12.8% in winds over Force 7.

848 launches were to fishing vessels, with the lives of 184 fishermen saved.

Lifeboats were called out 1,455 times to people who were in distress but not aboard any craft or vessel and 190 lives were saved. These figures include divers, bathers and water-skiers, people and vehicles cut off by the tide and casualties fallen from cliffs and man-made structures.

Of 253 launches in answer to unidentified distress signals, 252 turned out to be false alarms or hoax calls. The Marine and Coastguard Agency coordinated 5,588 rescues - 89.4% of all lifeboat services. Search and Rescue helicopters assisted lifeboats on 976 (15.6%) occasions..