Lifeboat crews around Wales saved more than 1,000 people in 2005

RNLI figures show lifeboats were launched 1,154 times around Wales in 2005, a 15% rise on the previous year. Across the UK, the increase was 8%.

Rhyl, Beaumaris, Tenby and The Mumbles remain the busiest lifeboat stations.

Paul Frost, a volunteer at Rhyl for 35 years, said crews now trained to rescue people from water bikes and surf kites.

He said the windfarm which is around four miles off the north Wales resort had proved an attraction for water bikers and an unlucky few had not taken enough fuel for the return journey.

Mr Frost, 52, said: "People have more leisure time and they take to the water. Obviously people have a little more free cash.

Rhyl remains the busiest lifeboat station in Wales

"Around Wales now we have seen a marked increase in the number of water bikes out there. The windfarm offshore has attracted a lot of attention from them.

"It's a novelty at the moment and people have gone along from various places to have a look around them, and a couple of them have run of fuel."

He said the lifeboat crews had also undertaken training to rescue enthusiasts of another growing water sport in the area, kite surfing.

He said: "The kite surfers themselves can get tangled up. If we go in, there's possible hazard of us getting caught up in the lines."

Launches

In all, 1,049 people were rescued off the Welsh coast by the volunteer crews.

Rhyl's lifeboats launched 107 times, rescuing 76 people, compared to 81 launches and 60 people rescued in 2004.

Beaumaris, Tenby and The Mumbles stayed as the second, third and fourth busiest stations in Wales.

The volunteer crew at Beaumaris responded to 10 more incidents than in 2004, Tenby lifeboat saw an increase of 15 launches and The Mumbles lifeboat launched 64 times, compared with 55 launches in 2004.

A spokesman for the RNLI said the increase in call-out across Wales was due to the growing popularity of activities like kite surfing and water biking, and to the number of tourists who flocked to Welsh beaches last summer.