1st September 2003

Poole's RNLI station made 85 emergency launches over the busy tourist season between June to August - more than any other station in the country.

The 25-strong volunteer crew, which includes five women, aims to launch within eight minutes of a call, and members have to make themselves available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to operate the two rescue craft; one inshore and the other, larger all-weather boat.

Across the UK the RNLI has had its busiest year to date, being called out 3,667 times so far - 13 per cent up on last year.

Operations director for the Poole-based charity Michael Vlasto, said: "One obvious explanation for this year could be that record temperatures have encouraged more people to take to the water or visit the coast, resulting in an increase in the number of people needing our help."

Anne-Marie Clark, Poole RNLI's press officer, who is married to Coxswain John Clark, has been kept busier than most. "We are always busy. You have only got to stand under Poole Bridge when it is lifting to see how many leisure craft are there," she said.

"We have had 101 shouts on the smaller inshore boat and 34 on the all-weather boat since January. "It's not just children on lilos and people in dinghies. We got a call out at 2am near the Isle of Wight when a fishing boat got a net caught in its propeller. "Then on Tuesday we were called out when a man fell overboard near the entrance of Poole Harbour."

She added: "It can be disruptive to family life, I have a two-year-old and a nine-month-old-child and you do tend to get woken up in the middle of the night, but when you see the crew returning from a good shout, you can see the joy on their faces."

The RNLI, which itself relies on the goodwill of others to stay afloat, receives voluntary donations and legacies, as well as depending on the efforts of voluntary fund-raisers.