Silloth History

1860 The RNLI established a lifeboat station and a boathouse was built on the promenade at Seaview.

1893 The lifeboat Emma Frisby capsized whilst on exercise without loss of life.

1896 The all weather lifeboat station closed.

1967 An inshore lifeboat (ILB) station was established in August with a D class lifeboat. The 1860 boathouse was re-acquired and converted to house the ILB.

1979 The D class lifeboat was withdrawn and replaced by a B class Atlantic 21 lifeboat.

1980 The boathouse was extended to provide housing for the launching tractor.

1994 A Framed Letter of Thanks was presented to Helmsman David Litt for rescuing three boys stranded off Southerness Point and in danger of being swept off by 1.5m breaking waves on 19 March.

1995 The Atlantic 21 was withdrawn and replaced by an Atlantic 75 lifeboat, B-714, on 27 July.

A new boathouse was built to house the lifeboat and launching vehicle and also provide a souvenir sales outlet and improved crew facilities. A new slipway was also built.

HRH The Duchess of Kent named Silloth's new Atlantic 75 lifeboat Spirit of Cumbria
and opened the new boathouse on 11 October. The naming of the lifeboat reflected the gratitude of the local station and the RNLI to the people of North Cumbria and the Lake District who worked so hard for and contributed to an appeal for a new lifeboat.

2002 A Framed Letter of Thanks signed by the Chairman of the Institution, Peter Nicholson, awarded to Helmsman Steven Henderson for a difficult and dangerous service when the lives of two people were saved from the yacht Susilla on 26 November

Station honours

At Silloth lifeboat station the following awards have been made:

Framed Letter of Thanks  2