Lowestoft RNLI Lifeboat Crew cheered by quizzers as they return from callout
The volunteer crew from Lowestoft lifeboat were getting ready for a night of good food and questions at an RNLI Carvery and Quiz fundraising event when their pagers summoned them to the lifeboat station to help a mariner in trouble.
However, on their return to port and arrival at the quiz venue, The Wherry Hotel, they were given a rousing reception as they belatedly joined family members and over 100 quizzers to enjoy the remainder of the evening.
The crew had been called at 4.20pm on Friday 28 November 2025 to help a 10m workboat that had suffered engine failure and although the stranded craft had been able to get a tow from another vessel, it was not able to complete the task of bringing the vessel safely through the pier heads and to a mooring through a relatively narrow marina entrance.
Duty Lifeboat Coxswain Philip Holdsworth said, “We were called to assess the situation and see what help we could offer. The stranded craft had initially got into difficulties off Sizewell and was being towed northwards when we met off Southwold.
It was agreed that the safest option was for us to take over the tow in open water and to manoeuvre the vessel into the harbour and marina, something we train to do and are familiar with.
Once inside the harbour we were able to secure the vessel alongside the lifeboat before carefully negotiating the entrance to the RNSYC marina where we had about one metre clearance either side of the two boats as we went through.”
By 7.30pm the vessel was safely moored, and the crew could head for the quiz venue and to the unexpected welcoming reception!
A lifeboat spokesman at the quiz said “being on call 24/7 the crew often have to sacrifice some of their social life – so to be applauded by an appreciative crowd is very heartwarming”
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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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