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Fowey RNLI crew make historic photo moment with seconds to spare

Lifeboats News Release

On Thursday 1 August, as Fowey RNLI crew and RNLI volunteers participated in a special RNLI 200th anniversary photo moment – One Moment for One Crew, three crew members were missing.

Jack Stevens

Fowey RNLI 'One moment, One crew' historic RNLI 200th anniversary photo

Representatives including lifeboat crews, fundraisers, shop volunteers, press, water safety and branch representatives from the RNLI Fowey community were gathered on the all-weather lifeboat pontoon ready to create a photographic record of those involved with the lifesaving charity at 18:24 on 1.8.24 to mark the 200th anniversary of the RNLI which was founded in 1824.

Three of the crew however, were absent, due to them being out on their 4th inshore lifeboat launch of the day, and no-one was sure whether they would make it back in time to be in the historic photo moment. But with seconds to spare, as the photographer was preparing to start, the inshore lifeboat sped back to the pontoon, switched off the engine and moored up, just in time for the three crew to turn around and face the photographer, along with all their crew mates and colleagues.

The RNLI asked its volunteers and staff from around the UK and Ireland to take a photo of themselves, their crew or their team, at as close to 18:24 on 1.8.24 as possible. The photos have been uploaded to an online portal and will be used to create a montage image.

The RNLI celebrated its 200th anniversary on 4 March this, and this photographic moment is one of a range of events and programmes which the charity has organised to mark its bicentenary.

Since the RNLI was founded in 1824, its volunteer crews and lifeguards have saved over 146,000 lives – this equates to an average of two lives saved every day for 200 years.

Founded in a London tavern on 4 March 1824 following an appeal from Sir William Hillary, who lived on the Isle of Man and witnessed many shipwrecks, the RNLI has continued saving lives at sea throughout the past two centuries. Today, it operates 238 lifeboat stations around the UK and Ireland, including four on the River Thames, and has seasonal lifeguards on 238 lifeguarded beaches around the UK. It designs and builds its own lifeboats and runs domestic and international water safety programmes.

For further information about the RNLI’s 200th anniversary, visit RNLI.org/200.

Jack Stevens

Fowey RNLI crew and volunteers

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, 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 (UK) or 1800 991802 (Ireland) or by email.

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