Today marks 200 years of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) saving lives at sea. Volunteers are at the heart of the RNLI, making up 95 per cent of the organisation, and in 2021 photographer Richard Oughton captured portraits of many of them in a series he named Heroes of the Sea.
Volunteers at Blackpool RNLI lifeboat station give their time to save others, all funded by voluntary public donations. The lifeboat station was founded in 1864 and in that time its crews have launched the lifeboats 2,786 times and saved 479 lives.
Nationally RNLI lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved an incredible 146,277 lives during its two centuries of lifesaving.
From 1864 with the first lifeboat station on Lytham Road, through to 1974, Blackpool was home to All Weather Lifeboats. Now a dedicated RNLI inshore rescue lifeboat station, Blackpool RNLI are one of only two stations in the UK and Ireland to operate three inshore lifeboats.
In 2023, the volunteer crews responded to callout 148 times leading to 114 launches, saved 14 lives and assisted a further 42 people to safety.
In 2021 photographer Richard Oughton honoured these local heroes by capturing their portraits.
“Some images face out to sea, this is something I wanted to happen to perhaps indicate the idea of how the coastguards are always watching over us and the sea,” he says.
“There is an amazing camaraderie amongst The RNLI volunteers, It’s been a privilege to stand amongst them and witness the tight bond they have with one other, which I hope I have captured in their images.”
David Warburton, Lifeboat Operations Manager and Phil Denham, Launch Authority from Blackpool RNLI, are among volunteers attending a service of Thanksgiving at Westminster Abbey today. Between them, they have over 85 years RNLI volunteer service as operational crew at Blackpool.
Phil Denham was awarded the RNLI Bronze medal in January 1988 as a D class helm rescuing sailors off Blackpool in storm force conditions, having joined the Blackpool RNLI in 1969, and is still volunteering today. David Warburton has just received his RNLI 30 year medal, having served as volunteer helm for both class lifeboats, before taking on his current Lifeboat Operations Manager role.
They have both been involved in many deployments, saving lives and rescuing many people in distress over that time and remain focused to operational delivery of the Blackpool RNLI team.
“We are the latest generation of 160 years of history at Blackpool RNLI, says David Warburton. “Already we have the next generations coming through. We are busier than ever as a RNLI station, but look forward to continue to build through 2024 to save lives and keep Blackpool safe.”
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