Seven of the ten people rescued from the waters of the Bristol Channel by Minehead's RNLI lifeboat crew were paddleboarders.

The watersport has become increasingly popular in recent years and the rescues accounted for a quarter of all the operational launches at Minehead in 2022.

Another rescue was for a couple who became marooned on a rock in the dark just west of Greenaleigh Farm after being cut off by the tide while scrambling back along the beach from Hurlestone Point in November.

A statement from the RNLI said: " Ten people will be around to enjoy this Christmas thanks to Minehead’s volunteer RNLI lifeboat crew.

"The station has been officially credited as having saved 10 lives in the course of the 41 operational launches logged so far this year.

"Seven of the casualties were paddle-boarders - all driven to the point of total exhaustion after trying to combat adverse conditions."

Minehead’s RNLI local operations manager Dr John Higgie said the tally of 10 lives saved was unusually high - but illustrated just how perilous local conditions could be. “In an average year we might record one or two lives saved,” he said.

“But there was a consistent pattern to these rescues because in each case those we saved had failed to take account either of the wind direction, or the direction and speed of the tide - or both.

“The couple at Greenaleigh luckily had the sense to carry a mobile phone to call for help: if they hadn’t been able to do that they would have been stuck there all night and half the next morning as well and the outcome would have been rather different.

“These may only be statistics on a page but to reflect on them in terms of the empty seats at so many Christmas dinner tables really puts them into context.”

The RNLI is launching its seasonal appeal for funds to continue its work, as its complement of more than 5,000 volunteers remains on standby to respond to emergency calls over the Christmas break - as they have on 1,200 occasions over the last decade.

Dr Higgie said: ‘There’s no feeling quite like bringing someone home safe to their families – especially at Christmas.

“But as lifeboat crew we couldn’t rescue people without donations from the public which fund the kit, training and equipment we need to save others and get home safely to our families.’

To make a donation to the RNLI’s Christmas Appeal visit: RNLI.org/Xmas

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 over 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and, in a normal year, 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.