The Tower RNLI Lifeboat Station, located on the river Thames in the heart of central London, reached on Tuesday 6th of June the milestone of 10,000 lifeboat launches, while saving the life of a member of the public.
At 1.09pm that day the crew launched to multiple reports of a person in the water around Battersea, and they were able to recover the member of the public from the water, carry out initial care and then pass the person over to the London Ambulance Service.
The rescue was carried out jointly between the Metropolitan Police, the Port of London Authority, and the RNLI.
Neil Ceconi was the commander on the 10,000th shout and has been on the crew at Tower RNLI for six years and he said ‘It is a big milestone for the station and the crew as a whole and as always I’m proud of seeing all the crew working together and using their training to help save a life.”
Neil Ceconi worked alongside crew members Storm Smith-Suckoo, Laura Lewis and Suzanne Goldberg on the duty boat E-07 Hurley Burley on this historical service call.
Over 21 years since its formation, Tower RNLI Lifeboat Station has saved 381 lives over its 10,000 shouts and is the first station to reach this milestone. It is mentioned that in 2022, the station had its busiest year as the crew launched 734 times and saved 21 lives.
Equipped with the fastest lifeboats in the RNLI’s fleet, Tower RNLI’s crew aims to launch within 90 seconds of an emergency call being received from the Coastguard.
The impressive history of the station began following the tragedy of the pleasure boat Marchioness in 1989 in which 51 people lost their lives after a collision with a dredger. An inquiry following the tragedy recommended the need for a dedicated rescue service on the Thames.
At the end of April, the crew moved into a brand-new purpose-built station on Victoria Embankment – and had their first call out that same evening. The new station was made possible thanks to generous donations including £3.5million from the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve Officer’s Association following the sale of the Naval Club in Mayfair.
The RNLI charity which is based on volunteers only and on saves lives at sea. It is providing a 24-hour search and rescue service around the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland coasts. The RNLI states that it 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 142,700 lives it is said.
Video credit: RNLI
