Chiswick Lifeboat Station facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Chiswick Lifeboat Station
RNLI lifeboat station by Chiswick Pier
General information
Type	RNLI Lifeboat Station
Address	The Pier House, Corney Reach, Chiswick, London, W4 2UG
Country	United Kingdom
Coordinates	51°28′56″N 0°15′05″W / 51.4822°N 0.2515°W / 51.4822; -0.2515
Opened	2002
Owner	Royal National Lifeboat Institution

Chiswick lifeboat Chelsea Pensioner performing a rescue

The Chiswick Lifeboat Station is a special lifeboat station located on the north bank of the River Thames in Chiswick, west London. It is one of the newest stations run by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI). What makes it unique is that it's one of the first RNLI stations to cover a river, not just the sea or wide river mouths.

Why the Station Was Created

After a serious boat accident on the Thames in 1989, it became clear that a dedicated search and rescue service was needed. Many people needed help during that event.

The government asked the RNLI, a charity famous for saving lives, to help. The RNLI agreed to provide a rescue service for the tidal part of the Thames. This area stretches from Teddington all the way to the Channel.

Four new lifeboat stations were planned along the river. These were at Teddington, Chiswick, Tower, and Gravesend. All four stations started operating in early 2002.

History of Chiswick Lifeboat Station

Chiswick Lifeboat Station officially began its service on January 2, 2002. It started with a fast response boat called an E-class Tiger Marine boat. In July 2002, this boat was named Chelsea Pensioner. The naming ceremony took place at the Royal Hospital Chelsea.

The Thames lifeboats quickly became very busy. In their first year (2002), London's lifeboats were called out over 800 times. This was 10% of all the call-outs the RNLI had across the entire UK. Within just two months of opening, Chiswick became the UK's second busiest lifeboat station. Only the Tower in Central London was busier.

Between 2002 and mid-2018, the Chiswick crew responded to 3,387 incidents. They rescued more than 1,620 people during this time.

In May 2012, a newer lifeboat, an E-class lifeboat Mark II, joined the fleet. It was named Dougie and Donna B. By 2020, Chiswick Lifeboat Station had three boats. These were the Chelsea Pensioner, the Dougie and Donna B, and the Joan and Kenneth Bellamy.

Meet the Crew

The Chiswick station is always staffed, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This means they can respond to emergencies right away. The Coastguard helps coordinate their rescue missions.

The crew is made up of both full-time staff and about 50 volunteers. These dedicated people work together to keep the Thames safe.

The Lifeboats at Chiswick

Chiswick Lifeboat Station uses three different boats for its rescue operations.