Hartlepool RNLI thanks everyone for their support this year

In a round-up to the year the charity said they have attended 54 call outs, which is slightly more than last year.

They said: "It's been a steady year overall with a mixture of missing persons, men overboard, medivacs, mechanical failures and people in the water.

"It isn't always possible to save everyone we get called to and our thoughts and condolences are with those families."

A spokesman said: "As always we are overwhelmed by all of your kind messages, from those wishing us a safe return from a callout to the funny ones on some of our pictures that we post, and would like to say again that we couldn't do this without your support and donations to the RNLI.

"We would also like to say thanks to some of the other agencies we have worked alongside this year : Redcar RNLI, RNLI - Sunderland Lifeboat Station, Maritime and Coastguard Agency (Humber), Hartlepool Coastguard, Seaham Coastguard, Cleveland Police, Great North Air Ambulance, North East Ambulance.

"Most of all, once again, we need to thank our families and friends for your support through all the training, events and shouts, they are the ones that sit up after the pager sounds, not knowing where we are or what we are actually up to (I am sure sometimes that they would rather not know).

"Thanks you all and best wishes for 2017."