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The RNLI in Cornwall
The History of the Cornish Lifeboats goes back to the early 1800’s. In fact over the years there have been lifeboat stations established at 28 different locations around the Coastline of Cornwall & Isles of Scilly.
Today there are 14 lifeboat stations, and 21 lifeboats, from the latest Severn Class All Weather Lifeboat down to the smallest D-Class Inshore Lifeboat. Amongst the Cornish Lifeboat Fleet, there is a representative of every current class of Lifeboat.
Cornwall also has a wide range of methods by which its All Weather Lifeboats are launched. These include slipway launched lifeboats at The Lizard, Sennen and Padstow, a carriage launched lifeboat at St Ives, while at Fowey, Falmouth, Penlee, and St Mary’s in the Isles of Scilly the lifeboats lie afloat.
Sadly Cornwall has also had its own fair share of Lifeboat Disasters, at Padstow, St Ives and more recently at Penlee in 1981, when the crew of the lifeboat Solomon Browne were lost while attempting to rescue the crew of the Coaster Union Star in mountainous seas.
The lifeboat crews who man our Cornish lifeboats today come from all walks of life, but they have one thing in common, they are prepared to drop everything to answer the call. This is a tradition that has been maintained in many Cornish Nautical Communities for centuries, and some of today’s lifeboat crew’s are descendants of the original men who manned the boats during the 1800’s.
Since 1825 in Cornwall 208 RNLI gallantry medals have been awarded, including 7 gold, 132 silver and 69 bronze medals. The most recent being a Silver Medal to Helmsman Gavin Forehead of St Agnes Station and a Bronze Medal to Coxswain Mark Pollard of the Falmouth Station, both of which were presented in London in May.
In addition to the lifeboat service, the RNLI also operates the lifeguard service on 33 beaches in Cornwall, throughout the summer season.
But we must not forget the people left ashore. In Cornwall there are 51 Branches and Guilds, which help to raise the money, which keeps our lifeboats and their crews afloat. With out these dedicated volunteers and the generosity of the general public the Lifeboat Service would not even exist in its current form.
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