Chiswick Lifeboat Station

Chiswick Lifeboat Station is located on the north bank of the River Thames at Corney Reach, Chiswick, in west London. It is one of the newest lifeboat stations operated by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI), established in 2002. It is notable for being one of the first stations to cover a stretch of river, rather than estuarial waters or the sea. Two E-class lifeboats, Dougie and Donna B (E-08) and Brawn Challenge (E-09), are principally located at Chiswick, both on station since 2012. History The inquiry set up after the collision in 1989 between the Marchioness and the dredger Bowbelle, that resulted in the loss of 51 lives, recommended a dedicated search and rescue presence on the Thames. The government approached the RNLI, who agreed to provide a rescue service that covered the tidal Thames, between Teddington and the sea. Locations were approved for stations at Teddington, Chiswick, Tower (located at Victoria Embankment next to Waterloo Bridge), and at Gravesend. All four stations became operational at the beginning of 2002. Chiswick Lifeboat Station commenced service on 2 January 2002, and operated initially with two temporary B-class (Atlantic 75) Inshore lifeboats. An E-class Tiger Marine fast response boat was soon placed on service, and was named Chelsea Pensioner (E-003) at a ceremony held at the Royal Hospital Chelsea on 19 July 2002. A second E-class lifeboat Joan and Kenneth Bellamy (E-006) also arrived on service at Chiswick in 2002. Demand for the services of the Thames lifeboats proved to be much higher than originally anticipated. In 2002, their first year of operation, Thames lifeboats were called out over 800 times, accounting for 10% of the total number of call-outs, or "shouts", for the whole of the RNLI nationwide. Within two months of opening, Chiswick became, and has continued to be, the UK's second busiest lifeboat station after Tower Lifeboat Station in Central London. Between 2002 and mid-2018, Chiswick was called to 3,387 incidents and rescued more than 1,620 people. In 2012, three new E-class lifeboat Mark II lifeboats, E-07, E-08 and E-09, joined the Thames fleet at served at both Chiswick and Tower stations. Chelsea Pensioner (E-003) was retired in 2015, followed in 2018 by Joan and Kenneth Bellamy (E-006). With a new larger E-class lifeboat Mark III lifeboat arriving at Tower in 2019, Chiswick became the principal station for Dougie and Donna B (E-08), and Brawn Challenge (E-09). Crew The Chiswick station is staffed continuously to provide an immediate response, and is coordinated by the Coastguard. The crew is drawn from both full-time staff, and a pool of about 50 volunteers. New station In late 2023, the RNLI acquired the former marketing building in Wandsworth Riverside Quarter, approximately 3.5 miles (5.6 km) downstream from the current Chiswick station. This will replace the station at Chiswick, which is no longer large enough for operational requirements. Planning permission has since been granted for change of use, and the building is being converted to be the new lifeboat station, expected to become operational in 2025. Chiswick lifeboats See also List of RNLI stations List of former RNLI stations Royal National Lifeboat Institution lifeboats References External links Chiswick RNLI Lifeboat Station