2021 busiest year ever for Southport Lifeboat crew

As another challenging year comes to an end, we would like to take this time to thank the local community and beyond for their support throughout a year of uncertainty.  From coins in a collection tin, to running marathons; every donation made by the public has helped our organisation grow. 

As Southport Offshore Rescue Trust continues to grow, so too has the number of service calls. 2021 has been our busiest year to date, with 43 call-outs ranging from assisting Royal Navy bomb disposal experts, to aiding stranded vessels off Southport’s shores. Late spring into summer continues to be our busiest time, with nearly 30 taskings in that period alone. In June, on average our crew was called upon once every three days.

In early April, our crew witnessed criminal damage to our Muir Hill tractor, which suffered a smashed window after being vandalised by youths. Thanks to the tremendous generosity from the public, the repair costs were covered and our tractor was soon-after ready for service.

In anticipation of another busy summer, our crew began placing safety banners around the Sefton coastline promoting our #ItsBehindYou tide safety campaign. The messages were well received by the public and the positive feedback means that the banners will be back in 2022. Watch this space!

Towards the end of this year, our crew were put through their paces at an Immediate Emergency Care and Maritime Casualty Care course. This means that Southport Lifeboat is at the forefront of pre-hospital maritime casualty care in the UK.

Once again, we worked closely with our local SAR assets, with some taskings calling upon multi-organisational collaboration between ground, sea and air services to help prevent the loss of life along the coast.

Turning our attention to 2022, we look forward to calling Southport Lifeboat Station our new home. What will be a sad goodbye to a boathouse that has housed lifeboats for nearly a century, the new station will provide much-needed facilities for our crew to continue their lifesaving work.  Keep an eye on our pages for more information!

All that is left is to say thank you for your continued support, and we look forward to what 2022 has to offer for Southport Offshore Rescue Trust.

From all the crew,

Happy New Year!