The RNLI, the heroes who save lives at sea.

On a holiday a few years ago we went out on a boat ride around Scarbough Bay. (No it wasn't whale watching, no whales around there.)

As the boat chugged along a small boat came speeding up to our boat.

The RNLI (Royal National Lifeboat Institution.) are the people who go out to save people in trouble around British waters, no matter what the weather conditions.

This was the team training in boarding boats (This time they smiled and waved to the children on our boat.)

After boarding the boat they went to the back of the boat and jumped off into the sea.

The small lifeboat then sped in to pull their crew members out of the water.

While to us on the boat this was an added extra to our little boat ride, this was essential training to these volunteers who put their lives in danger to save lives. Yes I said volunteers, For most of the crews this isn't a job to them and they don't earn a wage for what they do. The RNLI is a charity and is mainly run by donations.

Since 1824 RNLI crews have saved 140,000 lives but lost more than 600 volunteer crew members.
On the 17th March 1907 the RNLI made their largest single rescue after the liner SS Suevic hit a reef near Lizard Point in Cornwall. Over a 16 hour period crews from Lizard, Cadgwith, Coverack and Porthleven rowed out repeatedly to rescue 456 passangers during strong gales and thick fog. (Yes this was in open top row boats.)

In 1836 the Scarbourgh lifeboat was launched during a storm and the lifeboat was overturned with the loss of 10 crew members.

4 crew members from Scarbough died during the 20th Century, 1 in 1951 when he was trapped between the boats while transfering people and 3 in 1954 when the lifeboat capsized near the harbour mouth.