Air and sea rescues by coastguard soar by 20%

AIR and sea rescues soared by a fifth last year, with the Irish Coast Guard assisting more than 3,500 people.

Statistics showed 1,839 emergency calls were answered throughout 2010, with numbers spiking during the cold snap.

Declan Geoghegan, manager of the Irish Coast Guard, said the 20% rise in the number of people helped was mainly due to the severe weather conditions at the end of the year.