New figures reveal RNLI crews in the south west saved 42 lives in 2022

asking the public to support our lifesavers by signing up for the Mayday Mile.

Experienced pilots Paul Clifford and Duncan Laisney were two of those lives saved last year. They were able to return safely to their familys when they were rescued from a life raft by Jersey RNLI after crashing their light aircraft into the English Channel on 3 November 2022. They are urging people to support the charity.

Footage from the RNLI shows the volunteer lifeboat crew battling through 2-3metre swells, rain and winds of up to 35mph, before reaching the two men who had managed to escape the sinking plane and climb inside a liferaft, fitted with a personal locator beacon.

All three of Jersey RNLI’s lifeboats launched – from St Helier and St Catherine – in a major multi-agency operation which also involved Jersey Coastguard, Channel Islands air search and a French rescue helicopter.

Paul said: ‘If the RNLI hadn’t rescued us it would have been a different story. I don’t know of anyone else who’s been in that situation and survived.

‘I was undergoing some advanced refresher training when, at the furthest point from the runway, the engine lost power. We did all we could to get the engine going again, but had to ditch the plane. We knew it was incredibly risky and we were unlikely to survive.

‘We climbed onto the wing, and had our lifejackets on and liferaft prepared. We were stood on the wing for around three minutes before the plane went down.

The RNLI do a fantastic job. I’m here today because of what they did for us. They were there, they were fantastic. They give up all their time, its all voluntary and they need donations.’

Alex Scott, volunteer Helm on St Helier’s inshore RNLI lifeboat, said: ‘When you here there is an aircraft gone down, you’re thinking the worst, hoping for the best. It was quite a windy day, there were big seas so we weren’t quite sure what we were going to see when we arrived at the location.

We didn’t get to see the life raft until we were very close by, just because of the state of the sea, it was quite lumpy and it’s a very small object, very low down in the water so we were almost right on it before we could see it. That was a great feeling to see the guys lying in the liferaft.

It’s a great feeling to have been able to help someone. That’s ultimately why we’ve all volunteered and why we do what we do.’

With demand for its lifesaving services at a high, the charity is putting out its own ‘Mayday’ call, urging the public to take part in the Mayday Mile fundraiser – taking on the challenge of covering a mile a day for the month of May. All money raised will help to provide the vital training and equipment that is needed to keep its lifesavers safe, while they risk their own lives to save others.

Whether you choose to walk, jog, hop or skip, the Mayday Mile challenges participants to cover one mile in any way they like every day in May, with sponsorship raising vital funds for RNLI lifesavers so that they can continue saving lives at sea.

Lucy Ashton, Regional Engagement Lead at the RNLI, said: ‘The RNLI has been saving lives at sea for very nearly 200 years. Our incredible lifeboat crews across the south west launched over 1,400 times last year to help those in need, and our lifeguards kept people safe across our beaches. We are so proud of our brave and selfless lifesavers.

‘As a charity, we rely on the generous support of members of the public to continue this lifesaving work. We need ongoing fundraising – now, more than ever – to keep providing our lifesavers with the best equipment and training for their important lifesaving role, which is why we’re calling on people to support our lifesavers this May.

‘Every Mayday Mile completed will help give our lifesavers everything they need to continue to keep people safe this summer – and beyond. It’s so easy to get involved, and to have fun whilst helping the RNLI save lives.’

The Mayday Mile takes place from Monday 1 May to Wednesday 31 May. Sign up and find out more at RNLI.org/SupportMayday today.

Notes to editors

- *The South west region of the RNLI covers from Portishead down to the Isles of Scilly, and up to Weymouth, it also includes the Channel Islands

- ** In 2021, RNLI lifeboats in the south west launched 1,390 times and saved 36 lives

- Interviews recorded with casualties Paul Clifford and Duncan Laisney and two of the St Helier crew Alex Scott and Peter Lutwyche are available to download and use here. These were recorded in February when Duncan and Paul return to the station to catch up with some of the crew – some footage of them chatting is also available via the same link.

- Footage and images of Paul and Duncan’s rescue can be downloaded here

Key facts about the RNLI

The RNLI charity saves lives at sea. Its volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service around the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland coasts. The RNLI operates 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and more than 240 lifeguard units on beaches around the UK and Channel Islands. The RNLI is independent of Coastguard and government and depends on voluntary donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824, its lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved over 142,700 lives.

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For more information please visit the RNLI website or Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. News releases, videos and photos are available on the News Centre.

Contacting the RNLI - public enquiries

Members of the public may contact the RNLI on 0300 300 9990 (UK) or 1800 991802 (Ireland) or by email.