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March 1884 - Joey’s Walk - re-enacted on Saturday 5 October 2024

Lifeboats News Release

An historic fundraising walk for the Royal National Lifeboats Institution has been re-enacted as the charity marks 200 years.

RNLI/Mike Samuelson

Walkers on the re-enacted Joey's Walk ramble this month

Caroline Peel, President of the Bembridge Guild and Vice Chair of the RNLI Isle of Wight Board, supported by local ex-Coxswain of Bembridge RNLI, Martin Woodward who spent well over 35 years with the RNLI, organised ‘Joey’s Walk’ on Saturday 5 October as a special tribute ramble in celebration of the 200th anniversary of the founding of the RNLI.

Bembridge has been a lifeboat village for over 150 years and the Attrill family have been a significant part of the lifeboat community, in an unbroken line, through six generations. Edmund Charles ‘Joey’ Attrill was born in March 1844, he was in the rescue boat that saved the crew of the coaster Egbert which grounded on Bembridge Ledge in 1867. He became a key crew member of the new lifeboat City of Worcester, becoming second coxswain and then Coxswain in 1878. He died in March 1931 at the age of 87 having served in the Bembridge boat for 38 years.

In March 1888 the Sirenia ran aground on Atherfield Ledge at the ‘Back of the Wight’. The two local “rowing” lifeboats from Brook and Brighstone had been having a desperate struggle to save the crew in very difficult sea conditions. They made two successful trips to the ship, rescuing 17 people, but the lifeboats had been capsized or washed ashore in the surf several times and three crew members and two passengers from the ship had drowned.

Apparently there was a rudimentary telegraph sytem linking Lifeboat Stations and the news of the disaster reached Joey Attrill in Bembridge and he decided to go and assist. He and his 2nd Coxswain, James Baker, set off in their oilskins and sea boots to walk the 15 or so miles to Atherfield. When they reached Atherfield they found the exhausted and shocked remains of the Brighstone and Brook lifeboat crews and only one serviceable lifeboat. They had been at sea for 15 hours.

William ‘Rufus’ Cotton of the Brighstone crew took command, the Coxswain and 2nd Coxswain had been lost at sea, and with the help of Joey and James they reached the wreck and saved the last 13 members of the crew from the Sirenia. On completion Joey and James then walked back to Bembridge!

This walk is through particularly attractive parts of the Island with a lunch stop at the Chequers Inn, Rookley. Included are parts of the Red Squirrel Trail, the Worsley Trail and the Shepherds Trail.

5 October 2024

Saturday 5 October was an almost perfect walking day; warm (but not too warm) sunshine and a cooling breeze. After a short briefing and a photograph, 29 walkers of all ages from 9 (Teddy Attrill, Joey’s great, great, great grandson) to 85 (Robin Ebsworth, Chair of the Isle of Wight Lifeboat Board) along with numerous dogs, set off at about ten minutes to nine from Bembridge Inshore Lifeboat Station on the first legs of their 15 mile hike to Atherfield. Using a combination of footpaths, cycle tracks, byways and as few roads as possible, they made their way to Brading, Alverstoke, Newtown and the Chequers Inn where they had a lunch break. For a number this was also the end of their walk, however at least 15 continued on to Atherfield via Billingham, Kingston and Little Atherfield. On arrival they were met by Dick Downes, who along with Martin re-told the story of Joey and James’ epic walk back in 1888.

Congratulations to everyone who made it a memorable day; the organisers, the route marshalls and of course all the walkers. A total of £700.00 was raised for the Isle of Wight Lifeboat Board.

Coincidently as the final group of walkers reached Atherfield, Bembridge RNLI’s Tamar All-Weather Lifeboat (RNLB Alfred Albert Williams 16-17) launched at the request of UK (Solent) Coastguard to assist a 7 m yacht with 5 crew onboard located to the north of Bembridge that had lost her steering. Having towed the yacht safely to Gunwharf Marina, the Alfred Albert Williams returned to Bembridge and was recovered by 7pm. The lifeboat mechanic for this shout was John Attrill (Joey’s great great grandson) who had walked three quarters of the way to Atherfield earlier in the day,

Media contacts

Mike Samuelson (Lifeboat Press Officer, Isle of Wight Lifeboat Boardon 07386 737354 / [email protected] or the RNLI press office on 01202 336789 / [email protected].


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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