200 years of saving lives at sea
THE Royal National Lifeboat Institution today formally marks 200 years of service to the communities of the British Isles. It is a fitting opportunity to thank generations of volunteers for their service.
Lifeboats in Guernsey even pre-date the RNLI. But through the partnership, which dates back to the 1860s in the island, there have been significant enhancements in capability and sea safety for the crews who serve these waters.
But two things haven’t changed. The crew are consistently, as the RNLI says, ‘unwilling to standby and do nothing when people are in trouble’ while still being supported by the generosity of fundraisers and backers.
‘However you may choose to support us, you’re a lifesaver, proudly standing beside us,’ the RNLI says.
Guernsey memories of lifeboat heroism have been stirred in recent years by significant anniversaries – the Bonita rescue of 1981, and the brave bid to help the crew of the Prosperity, 50 years ago in January.
Today’s rescues have rarely been quite so dramatic but every one is conducted on the same premise – to save lives.
The RNLI thanks the people who for 200 years have ‘formed crews and funded the kit and lifeboats to save lives at sea’. What it calls ‘ordinary people doing extraordinary things’.
Every islander and local seafarer pays a similar tribute today.