SAVING LIVES ON THE RIVER THAMES

Background information on Thames Lifeboats

The RNLI operates four lifeboat stations along the tidal reaches of the Thames (Tower, Chiswick, Gravesend and Teddington).

The Royal National Lifeboat Institution first established a lifeboat service on The Thames in 2002. The RNLI was asked by the Government to provide lifeboat cover in 2001, the first time specifically covering a river rather than estuarial waters. This came as a result of the findings of the Thames Safety Inquiries into the collision between the pleasure cruiser TheMarchioness and the dredger Bowbelle, which resulted in the loss of 51 lives in 1989.

Today, the RNLI provides a search and rescue service to any point within the tidal reaches of the River Thames between Canvey Island and Teddington. There are four stations on The Thames: Tower, Chiswick, Gravesend and Teddington. RNLI lifeboat stations on The Thames are unique, as they are all permanently manned, this is because RNLI Lifeboat crews on the Thames are required to be afloat within 90 seconds of being notified of an incident.

RNLI Lifeboat Crew at Tower Lifeboat station

Unusual within the RNLI, there are 11 full-time crew members at Tower RNLI Lifeboat Pier comprising a Station Manager, 6 Helmsmen and 4 Mechanics. Tower RNLI Lifeboat operates watches of 5 full-time crew working 12-hour shifts, there are always 2 full-time lifeboat crew on duty at any one time. The third position on the boat is filled by a volunteer crewmember, of which there are currently 40 based at Tower Pier with quite a long waiting list.

In order to ensure that there are always three crew members on the lifeboat, all volunteer lifeboat crew are required to undertake two shifts per month. Many have previous maritime experience but some have no experience whatsoever. But whatever their background, training is provided with all crews having to undertake competence-based training, some of which is carried out on the Station and some of which is carried out through training courses. RNLI volunteer lifeboat crews come from all walks of life; with people from the other emergency services, office workers, crews from other lifeboat stations, a customs officer, a watch manager from London Coastguard and even a yeoman warder from the Tower of London.

The River Thames

Tower RNLI Lifeboat covers approximately a 15 mile stretch of the river from Barking Creek up to Battersea. However, these limits are only a guide. If either Gravesend or Chiswick are involved in incidents at the easterly and westerly limits of their areas respectively, then we could be called to incidents outside of our normal operating areas. The River Thames is a fascinating river steeped in history and, whilst the RNLI has learnt much in the years of operation, local knowledge is important, particularly bridges, reaches and wharfs, crews continue to learn.


Location

Tower RNLI Lifeboat Pier

Victoria Embankment

Westminster

London

WC2R 2PP

Station Manager: Janet Kelly

Tower RNLI Lifeboats
The E class lifeboat was introduced in 2002 and is the fastest lifeboat in the RNLI fleet. It is a fast response craft, developed for use with waterjets, and is used at three stations on the River Thames. The E class can operate in both daylight and darkness and has an assisted righting capacity similar to the B class.

Stations using a E class Lifeboat

Source of above: the RNLI (2008)

THE LIFEBOAT FUND HAS PLAYED ITS PART!

The Lifeboat Fund paid for the first RNLI lifeboat on the River Thames following “TheMarchioness” tragedy and has since funded provision of a purpose-built base, Lifeboat Pier, which is moored just down river from Waterloo Bridge.

The E-class lifeboat, Public Servant (Civil Service No. 44), is stationed at Lifeboat Pier on the Thames and went into service on 2nd January 2002. This lifeboat, the station - Lifeboat Pier - and associated start-up costs were provided by The Lifeboat Fund at a cost of £270,000. Public Servant joined three other lifeboats providing improved search and rescue on the tidal waterways of the Thames. Now (2010), after extensive service, Public Servant is used as the emergency boat on the River.

Source of this footnote: The Lifeboat Fund (2011)

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