Timothy Spall needed the help of the RNLI

Ramsgate busiest lifeboat station in Kent

Auf Wiedersehen, Pet star Timothy Spall helped contribute to a sharp rise in the number of time Kent’s lifeboats were put to sea to help stranded sailors in peril.

RNLI volunteers in Kent carried out 396 launches in 2011 - an increase of 15 per cent compared to the year before. In all, they rescued 442 people last year.

At Margate, crews were called upon 51 times, rescuing 80 people. In Walmer, there was a 100 per cent increase in call-outs hitting 38, up from 16 the previous year. They helped 29 people.

And Ramsgate also experienced an increase with 94 call-outs compared to 78 the year before, making it the busiest in the county, and 14th busiest in the UK.

There were some dramatic incidents too, the charity said.

Among them was the rescue of Spall and his wife Shane on the Princess Matilda in August. He needed rescuing by Sheerness lifeboat crew when he lost his way and instead of travelling up the River Medway was heading towards the Thames Estuary and Sheerness.

Also notable was a launch to a male swimmer, rescued by Walmer in October. He had drifted down on the tide and was unable to make it back to shore. He had been in the water a long time clinging to a football which he had originally gone in to the water to retrieve.

Also in Walmer, they saved a ‘sea horse’. Or rather a horse in the sea. A woman spotted the animal in distress off Sandwich Bay. The female rider had been thrown while in shallows and the horse took to the water. The Walmer Inshore Lifeboat got there in 15 minutes and towed Shallimah back to safety from half a mile out.

At the time, Walmer lifeboat helmsman Andrew Howland said: “This was one of the most unusual and most satisfying rescues I’ve carried out whilst a lifeboat crew member. Leading a horse to water is one thing but persuading it to come out again is a completely different issue.”

Like 2010, incidents involving sail and power pleasure craft continue to account for nearly 50 per cent of all launches, reflecting the growing rise of leisure craft users, they said.

RNLI East Deputy Divisional Inspector Michael Oakes said: “Kent lifeboat crews continue to carry out a vital service, rescuing many people who get into trouble at sea. However it is a sobering thought that nearly one fifth of our lifeboat launches are down to machinery failure which is why we urge all boat users to ensure their vessels are maintained properly and not to cut corners with safety.

“The RNLI has mechanics at every station to ensure the lifeboats are always in a seaworthy condition, and we would advise anyone heading afloat to make sure their craft is also in a fit state to go to sea.”

Across all the stations in the UK and Northern Ireland, lifeboats were sent out 8,905 times, the second busiest year ever after 2009, picking up 7,976 people, an average of 22 a day.

The busiest RNLI lifeboat station in Kent and the 14th busiest in the UK last year was Ramsgate, with 94 launches, rescuing 112 people, followed by Sheerness, the 28th busiest in the UK, which launched 73 times and rescued 74 people.

New lifejackets are needed in Kent costing a total of £26,500. As no government money is given to the RNLI, public money is needed to keep the lifeboats on station.

To donate, phone Aimee Menniss, area manager, on 07767 008335 or email Aimee_Menniss@rnli.org.uk.