Lifeboat crew called out just hours after new station goes on service

Tower station was floated into position along the Thames last month and is now operational and ready to fulfil the RNLI’s lifesaving mission.

The crew moved in on Friday April 28 and had their first shout, from the station on Victoria embankment, that same evening.

At 11.30pm the crew launched to an incident near Battersea Park. There was no one in the water and Police were able to help resolve the situation.

The crew then had two more shouts over the bank holiday weekend with their E-10 lifeboat Hearn Medicine Chest on duty. On Saturday April 29 at 5.56pm they were requested to launch to Golden Jubilee bridge although nothing was found, and on Sunday April 30 the crew launched to the Southwark area where they were stood down after ambulance crews attended.

Station manager Kevin Maynard was on service on Friday evening, he said: 'We're such a busy lifeboat station, keeping people on the Thames safe day and night, that I wasn't surprised that we went on our first shout just hours after operating from our brand new station.

'We're the busiest crew in the country, and having this incredible new lifeboat station means we have everything we need ready to save lives and care for casualties here in the heart of London.

‘I’m very proud of all our crew members who have taken this period of change in their stride while making sure we have remained on service to keep London safe on the water at all times.

‘We are happy to be home in our new station and are settling in following a busy bank holiday weekend.

‘I know the crew are excited to carry on their vital lifesaving work from this new base and to experience the new facilities on offer to help support them.’

The brand new station’s pontoon was built in Appledore, Devon, and was made with steel sourced from the EU and weighs more than 400 tonnes.

It has improved for facilities for the crew – made up of full-time commanders and volunteers including:

*Private casualty care area to provide first aid care away from public view.

*More spacious and modern accommodation.

*Visitor experience area which can be pre-booked by the public.

The crew’s previous station dated back to Victorian times, the new station has a 75-year design life with little to no maintenance requirements and was built with sustainability in mind.

The station has the first small scale water source heat pump used on the Thames and solar PV panels on the roof.

Since January, while the new station has been completed, the crew have been operating from HMS PRESIDENT – the Royal Naval Reserve’s training facility in London.

Kevin added: ‘We’d like to express our thanks to HMS PRESIDENT for allowing us to continue our vital service on the Thames while our new station was being completed and for making our transition as smooth as it could be.’

Figures released by the RNLI last month reveal that the Tower lifeboat crew had launched more times than any other station in 2022 and had their busiest year to date.

Last year the crew at Tower launched 734 times - and saved 21 lives.

Notes to editors
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The RNLI is the charity that 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 146,700 lives.

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