When a kitesurfer was pulled to safety by Fraserburgh volunteers off the coast of Aberdeenshire last June, a major milestone was passed.

Bodgan Bocaneala (pictured) got entangled with his lines while kitesurfing in Fraserburgh Bay, leaving him unable to swim against strong currents. The local lifeboat crew rushed to his aid and pulled him aboard.

His life was the 140,000th saved by the RNLI since it was founded by Sir William Hillary. And as this magazine was being mailed, our supporters and volunteers on the Isle of Man were preparing to commemorate Hillary’s birthday. It was the sight of shipwrecks around the Manx coastline that moved the lifeboatman send an appeal 190 years ago. It was this appeal that led to the RNLI's formation in 1824.

Today, Sir William’s motto, ‘with courage, nothing is impossible’, adorns the RNLI Memorial at our Headquarters in Poole. The memorial sculpture also features the names of those who lost their own lives in the cause of saving others at sea. At the end of September, those 778 inscriptions became 806, as a further 28 names had been discovered.

‘These additional names represent all sorts of courageous people, from all sorts of places, who made the ultimate sacrifice,’ said RNLI Chief Executive Paul Boissier, speaking at the rededication ceremony attended by families and representatives of those lost. ‘Many of those people saved the lives of others, before they lost their own. So, as well as reminding us of the sea’s dangers, this memorial reminds us of the tragedies that we can prevent.'

See all the names online at RNLI.org/memorial.