Appledore lifeboat station in North Devon
Appledore Lifeboat Station is the base for Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) search and rescue operations at Appledore, Devon in the United Kingdom. The first lifeboat was stationed in the town in 1825 and the present station was opened in 2001. It operates a Tamar Class all weather boat (AWB) and an Atlantic 75 B Class inshore lifeboat (ILB). The volunteer crews of the RNLI do not expect reward or recognition for their work, but the records include many rescues that have been recognised by letters, certificates and medals from the RNLI management. The following are just some of the most notable. On 17 November 1962 the Watson Class Lousia Ann Hawker was launched in a northerly gale to assist the Royal Fleet Auxiliary tanker Green Ranger which had broken free from her tug and run aground on rocks near Hartland Point. While the lifeboat found the tanker they could not find any of her crew. The lifeboat stood by for some time until it became clear that the crew had already been saved by breeches buoy, so it returned through the dangerous waters at the estuary mouth to its berth by the boat house. Despite not saving anyone, the RNLI awarded Sidney Cann, the coxswain, a Silver Medal for his work in extremely difficult seas that night. The Tyne Class George Gibson put to sea on 31 March 1994 when the local fishing boat Torridge Warrior was struggling through a gale with just one of its engines working. The lifeboat reached the boat on the seaward side of the shallow water off Bideford but, due to the state of the tide and weather, had to tow her to Ilfracombe. The tow line broke but was reconnected. The Ilfracombe Lifeboat arrived and took over the tow but the Appledore boat continued to escort them. They then ahd to wait three hours for sufficient water to enter Ilfracombe harbour before returning home. Coxswain Michael Bowden was awarded a Bronze Medal for his seamanship that afternoon
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Photo credit: © Trevor Boston / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No
Keywords: appledore, coastguard, devon, life, north, rescue, rnli, sar, saving, search, voluntary
