A staggering 50% of life jackets examined by Fowey RNLI during a recent clinic were found to be faulty or were condemned. The life jacket clinic invited a team from Ocean Safety Ltd in Plymouth to carry out vital safety checks on a total of 169 life jackets.

Eleven life jackets were condemned outright as being unfit for use, while a further 51 needed new capsules, and 26 required replacement cylinders, both of which are critical elements in a fully functioning life jacket. A donation to Fowey RNLI of £3 per life jacket was suggested, and a total of £707.51 was raised on the day.

Fowey RNLI Lifeboat Station Operations Manager Chris Ogg said: ‘Your life jacket may save your life one day, but only if you maintain it properly. If a life jacket is faulty you are basically wearing a dead weight around your neck. People brought along a variety of life jackets to be checked and it was eye-opening to see the terrible condition of some of them.’