INTERACTIVE MAP: RNLI lifeguards dealt with 1,714 incidents on Devon beaches in 2012

THE RNLI has revealed how many people it saved on the beaches of North Devon and from local lifeboat stations last year.

In 2012 RNLI lifeguards patrolled 16 beaches across Devon, dealing with 1,714 incidents, assisting 2,175 people and saving 12 lives.

The interactive map below shows the number of incidents dealt with at each lifeguarded beach in North Devon and the number of people assisted. Click on the marker to view statistics for each beach.

Woolacombe in North Devon was the busiest beach in the county, with 383 incidents. It is the third busiest RNLI lifeguarded beach in the south west.

On two beaches in Torridge, Sandymere and Westward Ho!, RNLI lifeguards dealt with 68 incidents, assisted 76 people, saved one life.

On Woolacombe and Croyde in North Devon RNLI lifeguards dealt with 628 incidents, assisted 900 people and saved three lives.

The interactive map below shows the number of launches at each lifeboat station in North Devon in 2012. Click on the marker to view statistics for each station.

Ilfracombe’s lifeboats launched 65 times last year, assisting 62 people. The boats spent 793 hours at sea and 17 of the incidents were in darkness. In five years Ilfracombe has launched 226 times and helped 244 people.

Appledore lifeboats launched 68 times, assisting 62 people. They spent 1, 174 hours at sea and launched 27 times in the dark. In five years they have launched 321 times and helped 231 people.

Clovelly launched five times in 2012, once in the dark. Eight people were helped and 108 hours spent at sea. In five years it has launched 25 times and assisted 26 people.

Nationally the RNLI’s Flood Rescue Team had its busiest year on record, deploying 11 times across the country with six of their destinations being in the south west.

In December volunteers saved the life of a woman who had been washed from her car at Umberleigh in North Devon.