The inshore lifeboat at Horton has responded to 26 calls this year

Young people who once helped crew boats were leaving to find work, said an RNLI manager for one station at Gower near Swansea.

Other stations in Wales, including some in Pembrokeshire, were also struggling to keep up their numbers, he said.

An appeal has been issued for volunteers at Horton and Port Eynon.

Peter Muxworthy, RNLI operations manager at Horton, said a big part of the problem was the increasing numbers of young people moving away.

"They can't afford to live here anymore and there are more people buying houses as holiday homes," he explained.

"There is also very little work here - farming has been in decline so there is only the tourist trade and that does not provide many jobs.

What could be more rewarding than saving a life? Peter Muxworthy, RNLI

"It's affecting the more isolated stations - Tenby has a full crew because the fishing industry is still strong there - but we are out in the sticks and it's very difficult because of the cost of living."

The Horton inshore lifeboat - which had responded to 26 emergencies this year on one of the busiest sections of the south Wales coast - currently had a crew of 10.

Mr Muxworthy said in an ideal world it would have five more.

Volunteers

"Joining a lifeboat crew is a real commitment, our volunteers have to be on call 24/7."

He said they had to live or work close to the station as the boat was often launched within five minutes of the alarm being raised.

But he said it was very rewarding for those who joined.

"It is an excellent way of giving something back to the community - what could be more rewarding than saving a life?"

Volunteers do not need professional qualifications and less than 10% nationally came from maritime backgrounds, he said.

Ryan Newland joined the Horton crew three years ago when his family took over a nearby caravan park.

He said he had little experience on the water then but had recently completed a helmsman course at the RNLI's college in Dorset.

"All the courses are competency based and the skills learned are useful not only for boat handling," he said.

"I really feel that I'm putting something back into the community."