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The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) is a charity that saves lives at sea around the coasts of the British Isles, as well as inshore. It was founded on 4 March 1824 as the National Institution for the Preservation of Life from Shipwreck, adopting the present name in 1854. The RNLI operates over 230 lifeboat stations around the coasts of the United Kingdom and Ireland. Since 1980, lifeboat rescues have doubled; the RNLI rescues an average of 22 people each day. The charity also employs lifeguards on beaches in southwest England, south Wales and Norfolk. In 2008, this service will be expanded to cover over 100 beaches.[1] The RNLI is funded entirely by voluntary donations and legacies (together with tax reclaims), and has an annual budget of £130 million.
[edit] The founder, Sir William HillarySir William Hillary came to live on the Isle of Man in 1808. Being aware of the treacherous nature of the Irish Sea, with many ships being wrecked around the Manx coast, he drew up plans for a national lifeboat service manned by trained crews. Initially he received little response from the Admiralty but on appealing to the more philanthropic members of London society, the plans were adopted and the National Institution for the Preservation of Life from Shipwreck was founded in 1824. Thirty years later the title changed to the Royal National Lifeboat Institution and the first of the new lifeboats to be built was stationed at Douglas in recognition of the work of Sir William. At the age of 60 Sir William took part in the rescue, in 1830, of the packet St George, which had foundered on Conister Rock at the entrance to Douglas harbour. He commanded the lifeboat and was washed overboard with others of the lifeboat crew, yet finally everyone aboard the St George was rescued with no loss of life. It was this incident which prompted Sir William to set up a scheme to build The Tower of Refuge on Conister Rock - a project completed in 1832 which stands to this day at the entrance to Douglas Harbour.[2] [edit] In action
Since the RNLI was founded, its lifeboats have saved over 137,000 lives (as of November 2006).[3] The RNLI operates five classes of inshore lifeboats, both inflatable boats and RIBs, of 20-40 knots (37-74 km/h), and six classes of all-weather motor life boats with maximum speeds of 16-25 knots (30-46 km/h). It maintains 332 lifeboats based at 233 lifeboat stations. It also has four hovercraft, introduced in 2002, allowing rescue on mud flats and in river estuaries inaccessible to conventional boats. The crews of the lifeboats are almost entirely volunteers. The 4,600 boat crew members, including over 300 women, are alerted by pagers backed up by maroons and attend the lifeboat station when alerted. The Humber lifeboat station at Spurn Point, East Riding of Yorkshire is one of only three lifeboat stations in the UK which are crewed full time (the others being Tower Lifeboat Station at Waterloo Bridge, and the Chiswick Station, both on the River Thames in London). The crew live in a few houses on Spurn Point which in bad weather can be cut off from the mainland. The other occupants of Spurn Point are Associated British Ports who man their Vessel Traffic Service control tower 24 hours a day, 365 days a year along with the lifeboat crew. In the United Kingdom, ships in distress or the public reporting an accident must contact HM Coastguard on MF radio (frequency 2182 kHz), VHF radio (Channel 16) or by telephoning 999 or 112. In the Republic of Ireland they must contact the Irish Coast Guard, or telephone 112 or 999. The Coastguard co-ordinates rescue at sea and may call on the RNLI (or other lifeboats) or their own land-based rescue personnel or rescue helicopters to take part. Air-Sea rescue helicopters are provided by the Royal Air Force, the Royal Navy, the Marine & Coastguard Agency (HM Coastguard), and the Irish Air Corps. The biggest rescue in the RNLI's history was 17 March 1907 when the 12,000 tonne liner SS Suevic hit the Maenheere Reef near Lizard Point in Cornwall. In a strong gale and dense fog RNLI lifeboat volunteers rescued 456 passengers, including 70 babies. Crews from The Lizard, Cadgwith, Coverack and Porthleven rowed out repeatedly for 16 hours to rescue all of the people on board. Six silver RNLI medals were later awarded, two to Suevic crew members.[4] [edit] LifeboatsMain category: Classes of RNLI lifeboats. The RNLI has two main categories of lifeboat:
[edit] LossesOver the years, many members of boat and launching crews have been killed during or died as a result of lifeboat operations.
[edit] Roll of honourLifeboat crewmen have been awarded medals for their bravery. The RNLI awards three classes of medal; Gold, Silver and Bronze. To date the number of medals awarded are:
One of the most notable recipients is Henry Blogg, of the Cromer lifeboat crew, who was awarded the RNLI gold medal three times (and the Silver four times). He also received the George Cross and the British Empire Medal. He is known as "The Greatest of all Lifeboatmen". The youngest recipient of an RNLI medal was eleven-year-old Frederick Carter who, along with sixteen-year-old Frank Perry, was awarded a Silver Medal for a rescue at Weymouth in 1890. The Thanks of the Institution Inscribed on Vellum is also given for notable acts. [edit] Famous lifeboat-saviours
[edit] Headquarters
The headquarters of the RNLI are in Poole, Dorset. The RNLI site is located adjacent to the Holes Bay in Poole Harbour. It includes RNLI HQ, lifeboat maintenance and repair facilities, the Lifeboat Support Centre and the National Training Centre, the Lifeboat College. The support centre and college were opened by Queen Elizabeth II in 2004.[5] Specialist training facilities include a wave and capsize pool, a fire simulator, a bridge simulator and a live engineering workshop.[6] [edit] See also
[edit] Gallery
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