Swimming Selfie; Mark Cunnigham at the Fernley Plunge Event in Marine Lake. A ‘Walk & Watch or Run & Plunge’ New Year’s Event commemorating the worst lifeboat disaster in history which unfolded off Birkdale’s coast, with 27 lifeboat crew losing their lives. Organised by Jonathan Cunningham of Storm Consultancy who is passionate about Southport and the two amazing charities CLF and The Independent Lifeboat Trust.
On Dec 9 1886, the lifeboats Eliza Fernley of Southport and Laura Janet of St. Anne’s put out in a storm to the rescue an iron ship, The Mexico of Hamburg. Neither boat reached the vessel, although the former approached so close that according to the narrative of the two survivors, one of the lifeboat-men was about to throw a line but the boat swung broadside on to the sea and a huge mountain of water lifted it up and turned it over, burying the majority of its crew beneath it. Important artefacts from the failed rescue include the oars from the Mexico and personal belongings of the deceased.
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Photo credit: © MediaWorldImages / Alamy / Afripics
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