Brighton crew in event to mark RNLI's 200th anniversary

Brighton lifeboat being brought ashore in 1929

Lifeboat volunteers from Brighton, East Sussex, will be taking part in celebrations marking the RNLI's 200th anniversary on Monday.

Three members of the crew will be at Westminster Abbey for a service of thanksgiving.

They will be joined by crews from around the country.

Brighton's first lifeboat station was also opened in 1824, and since then its crews have been launched 2,602 times, saving 343 lives.

The station's first silver medal was also awarded in 1824, to Charles Watts for his rescue of three people from a pleasure boat.

A gold medal was won by Capt Digby Marsh in 1840, following the rescue of 22 men and boys.

Current crew members Roger Cohen, John Webster and Tim Kingston will be attending the Westminster service.

This engraving from 1875 shows Brighton's lifeboat being launched

Mr Cohen, who will be reading the RNLI pledge as part of the event, said: "We're the latest generation carrying on the lifesaving work which has been carried out by many generations before us and we're proud to carry the torch for 2024.

"We hope our celebrations will inspire the lifesavers of the future to make sure the RNLI is here to save lives for many years to come."

Brighton lifeboat station was closed between 1931 and 1965 and again between 1975 and 1979, when Brighton and Hove's coast was covered by Shoreham lifeboat.

Brighton's current station is at Brighton Marina and is equipped with an Atlantic 85B class lifeboat named Random Harvest.

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