The idea of having special boats stationed at various points on the coast, with a skilled crew who could go to the rescue if a ship got into distress, dates from the 18th century. The first lifeboat was probably stationed at Bamburgh, in Northumberland in 1786. The idea spread, with local groups manning and paying for lifeboats.

`Hampshire Rose` RNLI lifeboat

The decision to have a national body for rescuing life at sea was taken in 1824 and the result was the Royal National Lifeboat Institution. It was and remains a purely voluntary body, paid for entirely by members of the public. There are around 150 lifeboats, stationed around the United Kingdom and Ireland. Most of its crews are volunteers who agree to man the local lifeboat when a call comes. Usually only the motor mechanic is a full-time employee, with others paid by the hour when they go out on duty.

The RNLI now works closely with the air-sea rescue organisations of HM Coastguard, the Royal Air Force and the Royal Navy. Thanks to the bravery of the lifeboat crews, the RNLI is one of the proudest and best-loved of British institutions, and has saved well over 80,000 lives since 1824.

For more information about the RNLI, go to www.rnli.org.uk.

Coastguard Service

When formed by the government in 1857, H.M. Coastguard Service was told told its job was `Defence of the Coasts of the Realm`, although it was not armed. In peacetime, its primary role is lifesaving. With a network of rescue coordination centres around the coast equipped with communications equipment, it is ideally placed to give the alarm if a ship is in distress or actually wrecked.

Today, the Coastguard work very closely with lifeboats, and also with the Royal Air Force and Royal Navy search and rescue services. It co-ordinates search and rescue operations at sea and also on the coast of Britain. As well as its permanent staff, there are some 3,100 volunteer Auxiliary Coastguards. Coastguards direct rescue operations using the best resources to hand - local Coastguards, RNLI crews, RAF and Navy helicopters, even other ships. However, the Coastguard itself has had a history of lifesaving. For many years it had a large force of volunteers who manned rocket apparatus to rescue people from wrecked ships. This Coast Life Saving Corps was the successors to the volunteer lifesaving teams, and used similar equipment.

For more information about HM Coastguard, go to www.hmcoastguard.co.uk.

Lifesaving Equipment on Ships

Lifesaving Teams and Apparatus

Rescue Organisations

HM Coastguard today