The busiest lifeboat crew in the country now has a brand new station under Tower Bridge, and it has a viewing platform on board for the public to visit for free.
A new lifeboat station for the RNLI’s busiest crew has today floated under the iconic Tower Bridge to its permanent home.
The crew from the station are currently operating from HMS PRESIDENT – the Royal Naval Reserve’s training facility in London – as they await their brand-new station.
Their previous station – which had parts of its pontoon dating back to the Victorian era – was floated away from its home on Victoria Embankment in January.
The Tower lifeboat crew had launched 734 times last year – more times than any other station in the UK – and they saved 21 lives.
It is expected the crew will be fully operational from the new station by the end of April.
The age and design of the old station had meant it had become unfit for purpose for such a busy crew – it will now be used by Thames Marine Services as one of six electrical charging facilities.
The new station will have vital new additions for the crew including a more private space for casualty care, out of public view.
The public will now get a chance to hop on board free of charge to see the crew’s vital work. As well as being more spacious and modern, it has also been designed to last 75 years.
Tower Lifeboat Station Manager Kevin Maynard said: ‘We are looking forward to our new much-needed facilities which will mean we can continue the service we are known for, for many years to come.
“The crew are so excited to see their new station arrive and excited to continue our life-saving work from this new modern base.
“We’d also like to thank HMS PRESIDENT who are supporting us in the meantime and as this has allowed us to continue being on service.”
The new station has been funded by ‘generous’ donations including £ 3.5 million from the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve Officer’s Association following the sale of the Naval Club in Mayfair.