Relay and Rescue: Cowes Mayday Event Showcases Lifesaving Services
Relay and Rescue: Cowes Mayday Event Showcases Lifesaving Services
Lifeboats News Release
The community of Cowes and beyond showed their strong support for the RNLI on Saturday as Cowes Lifeboat Station hosted a successful Mayday fundraising event.
Cowes’ flanking RNLI stations Yarmouth, Calshot and independent Solent Rescue lifeboat attended the event. Visitors were able to meet the volunteer crew members, get a closer look at the lifeboats, learn about the lifesaving equipment and the crucial role these volunteers play in keeping our local waters safe.
The event saw representatives from the Cowes fire service, coastguard teams from around the Isle of Wight and St John’s Ambulance Service offering valuable insights into their respective roles and how they work together to ensure public safety. The Wight Dolphins diving group also attended and took part in an RNLI rescue demonstration.
A key highlight of the day was the Mayday Mile, which saw RNLI and coastguard crew running a relay across the Parade, from Cowes RNLI Station to Trinity Pontoon. Crew members raced to don their drysuits, with enthusiastic support from the watching crowd. The relay ended spectacularly with a team made up of both RNLI and Coastguard crew racing with the RNLI’s ‘Dead Fred’ training dummy on a stretcher.
Willoughby Matthews, who organised the event alongside his brother, Josh, said:
“We were overwhelmed by the fantastic turnout. It was a great opportunity to connect with our community and share what we do. The funds raised today will make a real difference in ensuring we can continue to be there to help those in need at sea.”
Cowes RNLI would like to extend their sincere thanks to everyone who attended, volunteered their time, and contributed to the success of the day. Donations to the RNLI can be made via
https://rnli.org/support-us/give-money/donate
For enquiries outside normal business hours, contact the RNLI duty press officer on 01202 336789.
Key facts about the RNLI
The RNLI charity saves lives at sea. Its volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service around the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland coasts. The RNLI operates 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and more than 240 lifeguard units on beaches around the UK and Channel Islands. The RNLI is independent of Coastguard and government and depends on voluntary donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824, its lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved over 142,700 lives.
Learn more about the RNLI
For more information please visit the RNLI website or Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. News releases, videos and photos are available on the News Centre.
About Cowes RNLI Station
Cowes Lifeboat Station is converted from a former HM Customs Watch House, the rear of which is 300 years old. It looks out onto one of the world’s busiest shipping waterways and carries out a range of interesting services every year. It is the only station to be opened by Queen Elizabeth II."
The RNLI charity saves lives at sea. Its volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service around the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland coasts. The RNLI operates 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and more than 240 lifeguard units on beaches around the UK and Channel Islands. The RNLI is independent of Coastguard and government and depends on voluntary donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824, its lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved over 146,000 lives.
