RNLI lifeboat stations covering the Pembrokeshire coast were responsible for a quarter of all Welsh rescues by the charity in 2015.

The seven stations in west Wales between Tenby and New Quay saw 244 launches and 202 people rescued.

Nationally, the charity’s lifeboats were launched 1,058 times and rescued 1,029 people.

Angle was the second-busiest all-weather lifeboat in Wales, with 38 launches, while the station’s total launches rose from 44 in 2014 to 53 last year.

Angle’s volunteer crew also saved more lives than anywhere else in Wales, with eight people who would otherwise have died being brought to safety.

Tenby was the fourth busiest of the 30 lifeboat stations in Wales, with 55 launches and 52 people rescued, while Fishguard saw a small increase in call-outs with 32 launches, as against 32 in 2016.

Launches were also on the up at Little and Broad Haven, with 23 launches resulting in 23 people rescued.

The most frequent type of call was to bring people ashore, followed closely by call-outs to people in power pleasure craft and then sail pleasure craft.

The most common cause for call-outs was machinery failure.

RNLI volunteers from a number of Welsh stations have also performed vital roles with the charity’s flood rescue team in the north of England.

RNLI lifeguards in Wales had a busy summer, responding to 815 incidents and assisting 901 people on 32 beaches, including Pembrokeshire.

Said the RNLI’s community incident reduction manager, Nicola Davies: “Our volunteer lifeboat crew and lifeguards have again worked exceptionally hard serving our local communities.

“We continue to urge those working or enjoying our coastline and inland areas to respect the water.

“We would like to thank all of our volunteers for their tireless hard work and dedication over the last 12 months. Without all of our volunteers, fundraisers and education teams, our life-saving service would not operate.”