Gravesend History

2001 A new search and rescue service for the River Thames was announced on 22 January. The RNLI was asked by the Government to provide lifeboat cover, the first time specifically covering a river rather than estuarial waters. This came as a result of the findings of the Thames Safety Inquiries into the collision between the pleasure cruiser The Marchioness and the dredger Bowbelle, which resulted in the loss of 51 lives in 1989.

2002 A lifeboat station was established at Gravesend. A 40-knot E class lifeboat was placed on service at 1200 on 2 January when the new search and rescue arrangements for the tidal reaches of the River Thames came into operation.

The station is manned continuously to provide an immediate response and is coordinated by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency from a Port of London Authority (PLA) operations room at the Thames Barrier. Two of the three-person crew at each station are full time with the third being a volunteer. This enables the boats to arrive at any incident within 15 minutes.

2007 The conversion of the PLA building to provide permanent facilities was completed in May at no cost to the RNLI.