Tower lifeboat launched to woman hanging off Bankside Pier

Tower lifeboat crew launched at 4.50pm and arrived on scene at 4.52pm. Steve said: ‘As they came into sight we saw this blonde haired figure hanging over the safety barrier and holding onto the woman in the water. I had to squeeze our lifeboat into a very small gap and it was very tricky to manoeuvre our port side near to the pier so that we could get her onboard.

‘We got in close and one of the staff from the Thames RIB experience boarded the lifeboat to help us pull the woman from the river. If it wasn’t for Natalie’s heroic efforts she may have already gone under and we might not have been able to save her.’, ,

Key facts about the RNLI

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 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and 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 146,000 lives.

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Contacting the RNLI - public enquiries

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