Since opening in 2002, Tower Lifeboat Station has launched its lifeboats 9,775 times and saved 373 lives (as at 1 January 2023). It is consistently the RNLI’s busiest lifeboat station, operating 24/7 every day of the year. Unfortunately, around 20 people still drown in the River Thames every year and so every second counts when it comes to saving lives.

The costs associated with running a lifesaving service on the river are substantial, with our crews requiring suitable kit and clothing; fuel for boats to be able to respond to calls; and relevant equipment with which to answer the range of calls that they receive on a daily basis. In order to provide this 21st Century search and rescue service, we need your help. As a charity, with no government funding, we rely on your support. It is this support that allows our volunteer crews to operate and to continue saving lives in the capital.