Three Thames shouts and training test for Teddington RNLI this week
Teddington RNLI Lifeboat Station on the River Thames has had an unusually busy week, with three shouts by Wednesday, a training exercise with Turk Launches and assessments for the station's helms by colleagues at Chiswick RNLI.
Monday evening was a particularly cold night on the river when crew at Teddington RNLI were tasked at 10.45pm to assist in the search for a missing person around Teddington lock and Twickenham road bridge. The station's two boats were stood down after approximately two hours of searching.
Tuesday evening saw a spring like evening and a joint training exercise with Turks, a local tourist boat operator, on board the Kingston Royale. Nick Tudor, a skipper with Turks, said: ‘Any joint training exercise is a free opportunity for us to learn how to handle casualties on board, and we are always humbled by the commitment shown by RNLI volunteers.’ The training finished with pizza for all involved, which went down well with the crew.
On Tuesday night, our pagers once again brought us out of our slumber at 12.29am to assist a casualty with suspected hypothermia on a boat in Richmond.
Helm Tim James said: ‘We realised immediately that the casualty needed urgent medical attention, as he had obviously been in the water, with relief all round when the casualty was helped onto the lifeboat and then safely handed over to London Ambulance waiting on the riverbank.’
Wednesday night's shout sent two boats to a multi-agency search at 8.09pm for a casualty in the water upstream of Kingston road bridge. The incident involved police officers from both Richmond and Kingston, London Fire Brigade, including some of their water search units, London Ambulance and the London Ambulance HART unit, as well as a police helicopter.
Crew aboard one of Teddington RNLI's lifeboats (crewed by Jon Chapman (Helm), Chris Gibson, Paul Stallard and Andy Cowell) worked with the London Fire Brigade's Water Search Unit boat based at Heston to recover the casualty from the water. The casualty was handed immediately to London Ambulance.
Teddington RNLI's second boat (crewed by Jon Barker (Helm), Howard Evans, Kay Whittaker and Gianna Saccomani) arrived at the entry point just as the casualty was recovered, having just completed an extensive search search downstream from where the casualty entered the water.
Speaking about Wednesday night's shout, Helm Jon Chapman, who was on two of the week's three shouts, said: ‘There was excellent teamwork and communication throughout between all the emergency services teams involved at this incident and the level of persistence and dedication of all involved was humbling. Our lifeboat crews and the shore crew who helped launch them were a key part of this amazing joint effort.'
RNLI media contacts
• Paul Stallard, Teddington RNLI Press Officer, 07879 810 817 / [email protected]
• Paul Dunt, RNLI Media Officer London/South East Tel: (0207) 6207426Mob: (07785) 296252/ [email protected]
• For enquiries outside normal business hours, contact the RNLI duty press officer on 01202 336789
For the latest RNLI news, photos and videos, visit the RNLI News Centre
Key facts about the RNLI
The Royal National Lifeboat Institution is the charity that saves lives at sea. Our volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service in the United Kingdom and Ireland from 238 lifeboat stations, including four along the River Thames and inland lifeboat stations at Loch Ness, Lough Derg, Enniskillen and Lough Ree. Additionally the RNLI has more than 1,000 lifeguards on over 240 beaches around the UK and operates a specialist flood rescue team, which can respond anywhere across the UK and Ireland when inland flooding puts lives at risk.
The RNLI relies on public donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service. As a charity it is separate from, but works alongside, government-controlled and funded coastguard services. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824 our lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved at least 140,000 lives. Volunteers make up 95% of the charity, including 4,600 volunteer lifeboat crew members and 3,000 volunteer shore crew. Additionally, tens of thousands of other dedicated volunteers raise funds and awareness, give safety advice, and help in our museums, shops and offices.
Learn more about the RNLI
For more information please visit the RNLI website or Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. News releases, videos and photos are available on the News Centre.
Contacting the RNLI - public enquiries
Members of the public may contact the RNLI on 0300 300 9990 or by email.
The RNLI is a charity registered in England and Wales (209603) and Scotland (SC037736). Charity number 20003326 in the Republic of Ireland
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.
Learn more about the RNLI
For more information please visit the RNLI website or Facebook, X, TikTok and YouTube. News releases, videos and photos are available on the News Centre.
Contacting the RNLI - public enquiries
Members of the public may contact the RNLI on 0300 300 9990 (UK) or 1800 991802 (Ireland) or by email.