RNLI save 140,000th life as kite surfer is rescued off Aberdeenshire coast

A KITE surfer, rescued by an RNLI volunteer crew from Scotland, has been unveiled as the 140,000th person whose life has been saved in the charity’s proud history.

Bogdan Bocaneala, a 30-year-old from Romania, was kite surfing in the North Sea off the Aberdeenshire coast when his legs became entangled in the lines of his kite. He spent 30 minutes in the water before being plucked to safety by the RNLI’s volunteers based at Fraserburgh.

The rescue took place on 30 June. But it has only now been established that his rescue marked a major milestone for the charity since it was founded in 1824.

An RNLI spokesman said: “Unfortunately, the first individual saved by the RNLI is not known. However, one of the most notable early rescues came in 1824 when Charles Freemantle was awarded the first RNLI Gold Medal for Gallantry for his efforts to save the crew of a wrecked brigantine off the coast of Hampshire.

“Many of the 140,000 lives saved also represent significant steps in the development of the RNLI. For example, the first life saved by an RNLI lifeguard was at Durley Chine in Bournemouth on June 23 2001, when a person was caught in a rip-tide. That year was the first year RNLI lifeguards began patrolling UK beaches.

“The first life saved by an RNLI hovercraft was in July 2004 at Morecambe, when four people collecting cockles were cut off by the tide. Hovercrafts had been introduced to the RNLI fleet in 2002.

“The year 2002 also saw the introduction of lifeboats on the Thames in London and the first life saved by the Tower station crew was on 9 May that year.”

He added: “The earliest way of recording rescues was by hand in large ledgers which were kept at each station. In 1970, the RNLI started using a central database based at its headquarters in Poole to record all operational activity. “

Paul Bossier, the RNLI’s chief executive, said: “We are very proud that the RNLI has reached this remarkable milestone.

“Every single one of those 140,000 lives was somebody’s son or daughter, somebody’s wife or mother or father or friend. It’s almost impossible to imagine how many families have been affected by the actions of our brave lifeboat crews and lifeguards.

“I am also extremely proud that, since its founding, the RNLI has always been a charity, supported by an army of tireless fundraisers and the enormous generosity of the public. It is also a great source of pride that the vast majority of lifeboat crew members are volunteers – ordinary people who do extraordinary things.

“And while we remember all these remarkable rescues, I would also like us to remember that more than 600 people have given their lives in the service of the RNLI.”