Withernsea Lifeboat Station


Withernsea Lifeboat Station is a Royal National Lifeboat Institute lifeboat station located in the town of Withernsea, East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It is one of four RNLI stations in the East Riding of Yorkshire, with another five in North Yorkshire.
A lifeboat was located at Withernsea between 1862 and 1913. Then again from 1974 until the present day.

History

A lifeboathouse was built in 1862 in Arthur Street in the town. This was replaced in 1882 by another structure which had a high door to get the boat in and out. It was also furnished with a sloping floor which allowed the water to drain away from underneath the boat.
The station was closed in 1913 in favour of a new location at further down the coast. Launching had become difficult at Withernsea and most of the wrecks were occurring nearer to Easington than at Withernsea. Even so, Easington only operated for twenty years before it was closed. The lifeboat did not return to Withernsea until 1974. When it did, it was in response to a national increase in pleasure craft and water-based activities closer to the shoreline. was the first station in the North-East Division to receive an ILB, but that was still an operational station; Withernsea was re-activated after a period of 60 years.
Since the station re-opened in 1974, the team have been awarded eight gallantry medals. In 2017, the station had seventeen call-outs. The station is one of four in the East Riding of Yorkshire, with to the south and to the north. Currently the Withernsea Lifeboat station operates an Inshore Lifeboat with All-Weather Boat coverage being supplied by the two adjacent stations.
The fifth lifeboat house in Withernsea was opened in 1998, on the site of the 1974 building. The octagonal lighthouse in the town of Withernsea, is now host to a lighthouse and lifeboat museum.
Withernsea is due to receive a new 'D'-Class lifeboat in July 2019; it will be named Mary Beal.

Notable rescues

One of the more unusual rescues that the Withernsea Lifeboat crew performed was in January 1989 when the minibus they were travelling in on the M1 motorway was caught up in the Kegworth Air Disaster. The crew assisted with the rescue effort at the roadside.

Fleet