Withernsea Lifeboat Station

Withernsea Lifeboat Station is 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 first stationed at Withernsea in 1862 by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI). The station was closed in 1913, when the lifeboat was relocated to Easington. It was reopened as an Inshore lifeboat station in 1974.

The station currently operates a D-class Inshore lifeboat Mary Beal (D-837), on station since 2019.

History
In 1862, the RNLI received communications from Mr R. Champney of Hull, indicating that over the previous few years, there had been an average of eight ships wrecked every year, off the coast at Withernsea. A visit was made by Capt. John Ward, Inspector of Lifeboats, who recommended a station be opened. A gift of £300 had been received from Miss Sarah Lechmere of Hanley Castle, Worcestershire, which was appropriated to the station.

A lifeboat house was built in Arthur Street, by Arthur Brown, of Hull, at a cost of £207-15s-0d. A 34-foot lifeboat was ordered from Forresst of Limehouse, at £210-4s-6d, along with a carriage from Robinson, of Kentish Town, costing a further £86. It is estimated that 20,000 people attended the station opening and service of dedication, carried out by the Rev. G. C. Pearce of Hull on 20 August 1862, with the boat being named Pelican.

Six men were rescued by the Withernsea lifeboat on 11 December 1866, from the brig George of Lowestoft, on passage to South Shields. The men had abandoned ship, and were rescued from the ship's boat.

Six of the seven man crew of the brig Tribune were rescued on 16 October 1869, after she ran aground off Withernsea. The vessel was en-route to Sunderland.

On 8 January 1876, the smack Frank of Grimsby, fully laden with her catch of fish, ran aground at Waxholme, 2 mi north of Withernsea. The lifeboat was transported by carriage up the coast, and then launched to the aid of the vessel, saving all 10 men aboard.

A new boat was placed on service in 1877. A smaller 30-foot self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, she was funded by the 'Victoria Club' in London, and named Admiral Rous, in memory of Admiral Henry John Rous (1795 – 1877).



Construction of a new boathouse on Seaside Road was started in 1881, built by R. Carr, at a cost of £412-17s-3d. Completed in 1882, it was again funded by the 'Victoria Club', and still retains the plaque built into the wall.

The building had a 15 ft 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 Easington further down the coast. Launching had become difficult at Withernsea since the introduction of new groynes to retain the sand, and most of the wrecks were occurring nearer to Easington. Easington operated for twenty years before it was itself closed.

After a period of 61 years, Withernsea lifeboat station was reopened in 1974 as an Inshore lifeboat station, in response to a national increase in pleasure craft and water-based activities closer to the shoreline.

Since the station re-opened in 1974, members of the team have been awarded eight gallantry awards, including two RNLI bronze medals. In 2017, the station had seventeen call-outs. The station is one of four in the East Riding of Yorkshire, with Humber to the south and Bridlington to the north. Currently the Withernsea Lifeboat station operates an Inshore Lifeboat (ILB) 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 (boathouses had been built in 1861, 1882, 1974, 1983 and 1998). The octagonal lighthouse in the town of Withernsea, is now host to a lighthouse and lifeboat museum.

Withernsea received a new D-class lifeboat in July 2019; 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.

Station honours
The following are awards made at Withernsea


 * RNLI Bronze Medal
 * Graham White, Helmsman - 1980


 * John R Hartland, Helmsman - 1991


 * The Thanks of the Institution inscribed on Vellum
 * Albert Usher, crew member - 1974
 * Terence Dawson, crew member - 1974


 * Graham Newdick, crew member - 1980
 * Leon Wallis, crew member - 1980


 * Paul Theobald, crew member - 1991
 * Paul Haynes Baker, Deputy Launching Authority, crew member - 1991


 * A Special Framed Letter of Thanks signed by the Chairman of the Institution for the assistance given at the M1 Aircrash (Kegworth) while returning home from the Earls Court Boat Show.
 * Withernsea Lifeboat Station Crew - 1990

All-weather lifeboats

 * Station Closed in 1913, and Lifeboat (ON 623) transferred to Easington
 * Pre ON numbers are unofficial numbers used by the Lifeboat Enthusiast Society to reference early lifeboats not included on the official RNLI list.