More than 1,000 lifeboat call-outs were recorded by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) in the North of England during 2004. The charity has 34 stations from Silloth to West Kirby in the west, and Berwick to Skegness in the east.
The busiest station in the North East and Yorkshire was Sunderland, with 79 people rescued during 73 call-outs.
Tynemouth launched 54 times and rescued 63 people, while Hartlepool made 51 launches and rescued 61.
Andrew Ashton, RNLI divisional inspector in the north, said: "While the number of launches to fishing and commercial vessels remains steady, the ever increasing popularity of coastal leisure activities such as sailing, diving and jet skiing means RNLI volunteers have been as busy as ever this year, despite one of the wettest summers ever.
"By monitoring our activity and analysing the types of rescues carried out, we are able to plan the allocation of RNLI resources to meet future needs.
"This research also guides our Sea Safety education initiatives, enabling us to focus on making sea users aware of the risks and danger so they don't end up becoming one of our statistics."
One-Minute World News 
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