Prestigious award for brave New Brighton teen

On June 30 2024 Daniel Halliday was with two others, including his brother Anthony, at Crosby Beach for an afternoon out when he was swept out to sea and tragically lost his life.

During the protracted rescue attempt, Anthony Halliday showed immense courage in attempting to assist his brother as he was being swept away.

On Wednesday 24 June representatives from New Brighton RNLI attended an awards ceremony at the Cotton Exchange in Liverpool to celebrate Anthony’s bravery.

Anthony was presented with a Bronze medal by the Humane and Shipwreck Society. He was also nominated for and awarded with the prestigious Eric Deakin medal, given for the most meritorious water rescue for 2024. It has been more than six years since the Eric Deakin last honoured someone’s efforts to save lives at sea.

Chris Riley, from the Humane and Shipwreck Society, was there to present the medals to Anthony, who was joined by his family at the ceremony.

Anthony was nominated for the awards by New Brighton RNLI for his part in a protracted search and rescue effort, that involved multiple agencies from HM Coastguard, Hoylake RNLI, Merseyside Police and Mersey Fire and Rescue.

Representatives from New Brighton RNLI worked closely with local charity An Hour for Others to make the awards ceremony possible, who assisted with arranging and hosting the evening.

Mark Harding, Helm at New Brighton RNLI, said:

‘This was an incredibly important and emotional event for ourselves, Anthony, and his family. So much of the brave efforts that Anthony made that sad day to save his brother went unmentioned in the tragedy, and we felt it was only right that he was duly honoured for his unbelievable bravery and selflessness. Nothing can help with the pain the family feel in losing Daniel, but we hope that this can go some way to honouring his memory.’

Notes to Editors:

New Brighton RNLI was established in 1863 in the bustling seaside resort of New Brighton, on the northeast corner of the Wirral peninsula. They cover the River Mersey and out into the Irish Sea.

The station is home to a B-class Atlantic 85 lifeboat, one of the fastest in the RNLI fleet. The crews at New Brighton have been presented with a remarkable 48 awards for gallantry to date.

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For further information, please contact:

Connor Wray, Volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer for RNLI Wales & West, [email protected]

Claire Fitzpatrick-Smith, RNLI Regional Communications Manager for Wales, West of England and Isle of Man, 07977 728 315, [email protected]

Danielle Rush, RNLI Regional Communications Lead for Wales, West of England and Isle of Man, 07786 668829, [email protected]

RNLI Press Office, 01202 336789, [email protected]

Key facts about the RNLI

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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