A LIFE-SAVING charity is urging people to keep safe when visiting the coast this Easter as figures released yesterday (29) show volunteer lifeboat crews in the south west saved 52 lives last year.

The RNLI launched 1,614 times in the South West in 2016, rescuing 1,624 people. RNLI lifeguards across the region dealt with 11,173 incidents, aided 13,647 people and saved 56 lives.

Lyme Regis RNLI crew answered 27 calls for help and three lives were recorded as being saved in 2016. Half of the crew's calls were from people stranded at shore.

Lyme Regis RNLI lifeboat operations manager, Nick Marks, said: "We had a relatively quiet year and we would like to think that is a reflection of the fact that people are taking greater care around the coast.

“However,we still get a number of calls to people cut off by the tide or coming to grief on the rocks. In fact, 50 per cent of our rescues were on people getting into trouble ashore. As a result, we are producing a special leaflet to be published very soon drawing attention to the need for awareness of tides and other dangers.”

Regionally, last year saw a 35 per cent increase in launches to people in the water, compared to 2015. The charity is urging people to take more care at the coast and respect the water, especially with the Easter holidays approaching.

Steve Instance, RNLI community safety partner, said: "RNLI lifesavers across the region spent 10,967 hours on service at sea last year, equating to an incredible 456 days.

"Their selflessness and dedication is truly awe inspiring and we are extremely grateful for their continued support."

He added: "The RNLI will always answer the call for help but we’re not just here to rescue those in difficulty, a huge part of our work is about encouraging people not to get into trouble in the first place.

"We’re doing lots of work in communities to introduce local initiatives to tackle specific risk activities, as well as continuing to run extensive education and safety programmes. But there’s still a lot to do to improve safety and that’s why we’re urging more people to pay attention to our advice and give the water the healthy respect it deserves."

Lifeguards will not be on duty at Lyme Regis and West Bay this Easter holiday.

Mr Instance said: "We want people to enjoy the coastline this Easter and therefore urge people to take some basic precautions to ensure they stay safe.

"Plan your activity – check the weather and tide conditions before going to sea, and make sure your equipment is all in working order. Carry a means of calling for help should something go wrong, know your capabilities and make sure you wear the necessary safety equipment for your chosen activity."