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West Kirby Lifeboat Station
West Kirby Lifeboat Station
West Kirby, Wirral
General information
Type	RNLI Lifeboat Station
Location	Coronation Gardens
Address	South Parade, West Kirby, Wirral, Merseyside, CH48 3JU
Country	England
Coordinates	53°21′57.8″N 3°10′56.4″W / 53.366056°N 3.182333°W / 53.366056; -3.182333
Opened	1966
Owner	Royal National Lifeboat Institution
Website
West Kirby Lifeboat Station

West Kirby Lifeboat Station is located at Coronation Gardens, in the town of West Kirby, on the Wirral Peninsula in Merseyside.

A lifeboat was first stationed at West Kirby in 1966 by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI).

The station currently operates a D-class (IB1) Inshore lifeboat, the Leonard Pownell (D-883), on station since 2023.

History

A rise in coastal leisure activity, bathers, dinghies, small boats, etc. prompted the RNLI to introduced their small fast D-class (RFD PB16) Inshore lifeboats in 1963. Launching an All-weather lifeboat was a time consuming act, and often too slow in these circumstances.

A tragic accident in the River Dee brought about discussion between the RNLI and local authorities, and it was decided to place Inshore lifeboats at both Flint and West Kirby. D-100 was placed on service at West Kirby in June 1966, the responsibility of which was assigned to the Hoylake RNLI Honorary Secretary. The boat was temporarily located at West Kirby Sailing Club, until a boathouse could be constructed on the promenade.

Only 2 months later in August 1966, she was proven as a necessary resource, when the crew were able to resuscitate a man, unconscious in the water from a capsized small boat.

As was usual at the time, Inshore lifeboats were on station seasonally, so a different boat (D-14) was provided in 1967, but she was swiftly followed by D-155, which then became the station boat from 1967 to 1975.

A training session was held in March 1980 on the techniques of mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. A call came in at the end of the session, for two canoeists in the water, being swept away in the fast tide. The D-class (Zodiac III) lifeboat Miss Winfield (D-230) was launched within two minutes. Arriving on scene to find one man unconscious, and the other in poor condition, crewman Robert Lydiate immediately put his training to use. Both men recovered, with Helmsman Ronald Jones, and crew members Robert Lydiate and John Curry receiving 'Letters of Thanks' signed by the RNLI Chief of Operations.

Two horses got stuck in the mud in 1988. The D-class lifeboat was carried over the sand to the location, and thus ensued a 2-hour battle to release the horses in the rising tide, the crew ending up waist-deep in water. Both horses were finally released only 20 minutes before high-water. For this rescue, the 11 crew were collectively awarded a bronze medal by the RSPCA.

In 1991, following flooding on the promenade and into the boathouse, a new boathouse was constructed at Coronation Gardens.

In the 2020 New Year Honours list, the British Empire Medal was awarded to Carole Ann Jackson, for her fundraising efforts over 50 years.

West Kirby lifeboats

Inshore lifeboats

1. Op. No. is the RNLI's Operational Number of the boat carried on the hull.

See also

• List of RNLI stations
• List of former RNLI stations
• Royal National Lifeboat Institution lifeboats

References

1. ^ "West Kirby's station history". RNLI. Retrieved 8 March 2024.
2. ^ Leonard, Richie; Denton, Tony (2024). Lifeboat Enthusiasts Handbook 2024. Lifeboat Enthusiasts Society. pp. 4–132.
3. ^ Morris, Jeff (January 2003). Hoylake and West Kirby Lifeboats 1803–2003 (4th ed.). Lifeboat Enthusiasts Society. pp. 1–46.
4. "British Empire Medal (Civil Division)". The Gazette. Retrieved 8 March 2024.

External links

• RNLI station information

• Buildings and structures in the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral
• Lifeboat stations in Merseyside