A service built on volunteers
Sea rescue in Britain and Ireland is largely provided by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, usually called the RNLI. It is a charity, founded in 1824, and for most of its history it has relied on donations rather than government funding. Its lifeboat crews are, for the most part, volunteers who live and work in the local community. When a pager sounds, they leave their jobs, homes and families and go to the station.
Cornwall has many lifeboat stations, which is no surprise given its long and dangerous coast. Stations are found at places such as Sennen Cove, St Ives, Padstow, the Lizard, Falmouth, Fowey and Looe, among many others, and the Isles of Scilly have their own. Some are all-weather stations with larger boats, and others have smaller inshore boats suited to shallow water and nearby rescues.
Before the institution
Rescue from the shore existed long before a national organization. Local people launched boats to help the crews of ships in trouble, as described in shipwreck stories, and communities sometimes had their own boats and practices. These efforts were important but irregular, and they depended on the weather, available boats and individual courage.
The founding of the national institution in the early nineteenth century gave rescue a more organized structure. Boats were designed and built for the purpose, stations were set up, and crews were organized and trained. Over the decades, designs changed from open rowing and sailing boats to powered boats with strong hulls and watertight compartments.
Boats and launching
The first lifeboats were pulled by oars, sometimes with sails, and launched from beaches or slipways with the help of horses and many hands. In some places, the boat was dragged across the sand and pushed into the surf, and the launch itself was a feat of teamwork. Self-righting designs were introduced to help boats recover from capsize, and engines were adopted in the early twentieth century.
Modern lifeboats are very different. All-weather boats are fast, strong and fitted with navigation and communication equipment. Inshore lifeboats are smaller, inflatable or rigid-hulled craft that can work close to cliffs and in surf. Depending on the station, launching may be from a slipway, a trolley or tractor on a beach, or from a mooring afloat. Details differ from place to place.
How a call-out works
A call for help usually comes through the coast guard, which coordinates emergency responses at sea and on the coast. When a lifeboat is needed, the crew are alerted and go to the station. The coxswain, the experienced crew member in charge of the boat, decides how to approach the casualty, and other crew members handle the radio, medical and rescue tasks. Helicopters, coastal rescue teams and other services often work together with lifeboats.
Many call-outs are not dramatic shipwrecks. They include people cut off by the tide, boats with engine failure, swimmers in difficulty, and walkers on cliffs. Crews are trained to treat every call seriously. The service does not judge people for getting into trouble, and it also encourages the public to avoid it in the first place.
Penlee
No account of Cornish lifeboats would be complete without mentioning the Penlee lifeboat disaster of December 1981. The lifeboat Solomon Browne, from the station near Mousehole, went out in a fierce storm to help the coaster Union Star, which was in danger near the coast. Both the lifeboat and the coaster were lost, and everyone on board both vessels died, including the eight volunteer crew members. The tragedy deeply affected the village of Mousehole and the wider county, and it is remembered with respect each year.
The disaster is often cited as an example of the commitment of volunteers, but it should be remembered first as a human loss. Families lost fathers, sons and brothers, and the community lost many of its working men.
Funding and everyday work
Much of the cost of the lifeboat service is met by public donations and legacies, with local fundraising playing a major part. Many seaside communities hold events, collect in shops and pubs, and sell souvenirs to support their station. Beyond rescue, the charity is involved in water safety education, and in many places it provides trained lifeguards for popular beaches, though the arrangements vary from season to season and place to place.
Crews come from many walks of life: fishermen, tradespeople, teachers, students and others. Training covers seamanship, first aid, navigation and teamwork. The work is serious, but the tone around stations is often practical and friendly, and many offer open days.
Staying out of trouble
Most rescues could be avoided with basic preparation. Visitors can help by:
- Checking the weather forecast and tide times before a trip, as covered under coastal safety and tide tables.
- Swimming only at beaches that are supervised, between the flags.
- Learning to recognize rip currents and what to do if caught in one.
- Telling someone where you are going, and carrying a phone.
- Calling the coast guard for emergencies at sea or on the cliffs, and not trying a risky rescue yourself.
The lifeboat tradition is part of Cornwall’s identity, built on mutual aid and a respect for the sea. The best way to honor it is to treat the coast with care.