Walton & Frinton Lifeboat Station returns to its home boathouse

Walton & Frinton Lifeboat Station has officially relocated back to its lifeboat station at Marina Parade, Walton on the Naze, following a period of operating from a temporary site at Titchmarsh Marina.

The move marks the first time the station's D class lifeboat and crew have operated from the boathouse in over two years. Following the relocation, the crew and shore crew undertook two days of intensive training, and have now successfully been passed as fit for service from the station.

Being based at the boathouse restores the station's ability to launch directly from the seafront, significantly reducing response times to incidents along the coastline compared to the previous marina-based launch site. We thank Titchmarsh Marina for their support over the past two years, allowing us to carry out our training and operations.

Dale Steggles, who is Helm at the Station said: 'This is a moment our crew and all involved at Walton & Frinton Lifeboat station have been working towards for a long time. Being back at the boathouse means we're operating from exactly where we need to be, being able to reach the scene of many of our callouts quicker, supporting our local coastline, and it's testament to the dedication of every volunteer at this station that we've got here. I'd like to thank everyone across the RNLI who worked with us to make this happen, and I'm incredibly proud of the crew for the commitment they've shown throughout the past two years.'

Graham Lane, Operations Manager, praised the crew and community: 'Our crew and shore crew have worked incredibly hard over the past few days to complete their training and be passed fit for service from the station. It's a real credit to their professionalism and commitment that this transition has gone so smoothly. We are proud to be back at our boathouse and ready to continue to support our coastline. We're now fully operational from the boathouse, ready to continue providing the search and rescue service our community relies on.'

RNLI Media Contacts

For further information, please contact:

Dale Steggles, Volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer for RNLI North and East, [email protected]

Clare Hopps, RNLI Regional Communications Manager for North East and East England, 07824 518641, [email protected]

Richard Grange, RNLI Regional Communications Lead for North East and East England, 07483 112015, [email protected]

RNLI Press Office, 01202 336789, [email protected]

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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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