Originally published on Photoblog by Gethin Thomas September. 19, 2020
[45-365] 19th September 2020- Salcombe Lifeboats of The Royal National Lifeboat Institution have been saving lives at sea since 1869.
The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) is the largest charity that saves lives at sea around the coasts of the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland, the Channel Islands, and the Isle of Man, as well as on some inland waterways. There are numerous other lifeboat services operating in the same area.
Founded in 1824 as the National Institution for the Preservation of Life from Shipwreck, the RNLI was granted a Royal Charter in 1860. It is a charity in the UK and in the Republic of Ireland. Queen Elizabeth II is Patron. The RNLI is principally funded by legacies and donations, and most of the members of its lifeboat crews are unpaid volunteers. The charity receives no government funding.
The RNLI, whose main base is in Poole, Dorset, has 238 lifeboat stations and operates 444 lifeboats.
"The current Station in Salcombe is operated by a team of 34 local men and women, 21 sea going, 12 shore- based and 1 Lifeboat Medical Adviser. With our 2 boats, and our volunteer crew we are able to meet our mission which is to reach any casualty, in all weathers, within 10 miles of the Station within 30 mins of receiving an initial request from the Coastguard."
"On average, our response times from receiving the initial page request to being fully crewed and launched onto the water are 6 minutes for the ILB and 9 minutes for the ALB. Given that the crew must leave their place of work, get to the station, get changed into seagoing gear, prepare and then launch the boat, these response times are very impressive, and they allow us to meet and exceed the target to reach the casualty within 30 mins up to 10 miles offshore, in all weathers."
1,619 Launches
1,475 people assisted
526 lives saved
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