A pier without equal It was the collision of the Bowbelle and Marchioness in 1989 and the resulting 51 deaths that led the Government to ask the RNLI to provide a lifeboat service on the Thames. Now the RNLI's busiest lifeboat station of all, Tower, has taken up a new and even more prominent home on the capital's riverIt was on 2 January 2002 that, for the first time, RNLI lifeboats were seen on a river rather than estuarial or true coastal waters.

Lifeboat stations were established at Gravesend in Kent; Tower in the heart of the city; Chiswick to the west and, at the upper end of the tidal waters of the river, Teddington in Middlesex.

With its fast-running tide, powerful undercurrents, hidden debris and heavy traffic, the Thames is a surprisingly hostile environment for those on and by the water.

Time is of the essence on any shout, but especially here when many rescues involve people already in the water. Just as with beach lifeguarding, therefore, a mix of fulltimers and volunteers are needed to ensure a fast enough response. They can launch within 90 seconds and aim to reach 95% of casualties on the river between Canvey Island in Essex and Teddington within 15 minutes.

The pattern of services on the Thames differs markedly from that on the coast, no more so than in July 2005 when London came under terrorist attack. With buses, railways and the underground out of service, the river provided the only route for many people to evacuate. All four Thames lifeboat stations were called into action, including assisting at Canary Wharf on the Isle of Dogs,where their E class lifeboats were joined by Sheerness's Trent class Ceorgeand IvySwanson.

Service snapshots Cravesend crew recall a sadly more farcical shout in 2005 when they attended a motor cruiser run hard aground underneath a lighthouse (pictured), the inexperienced owner thinking he ought to keep the redpainted structure close to his port side. The boat was severely damaged and a potential hazard to other craft so it was salvaged by the Port of London Authority.

Chiswick crew rescued their 500th casualty on 12 April 2006. Responding to a report of a collision in Syon Reach, they arrived to find two rowers had clambered onto a buoy. During the collision, one had received a heavy blow to the back of the ribcage and was finding it painful to breathe; both were suffering from the cold.

Teddington's most unorthodox rescue came in January 2003. Two lifeboats were called to evacuate 50 residents from Thames Ditton Island when flooding cut off thefootbridge to the river bank and left the island without electricity. One elderly gentleman had recently undergone a hip operation and was unable to bend or use his legs in any way so the crew floated him across in a standing position - in a wheelie bin! Sadly, many shouts on the Thames follow a suicide attempt. Tower crew launched on 19 March 2006 after a man had jumped from Tower Bridge. After a brief search, they found him face down in the water about 150m downstream from the Tower and recovered him onto the lifeboat. After failing to resuscitate him manually they resorted to the defibrillator (recently donated to the station by Laerdal Medical). They shocked the man nine times before his heart restarted.

A new home After just four years' operation, Tower lifeboat station has carried out over 1,300 services, rescuing more than 380 people and saving nearly 100 lives. Earlier this year the station was relocated from a dark and uncomfortable position underneath Tower Millennium Pier to the newly renovated Lifeboat Pier by Waterloo Bridge. This is a site with a passionate and fascinating lifesaving history stretching over 140 years.

Built near the original Waterloo Bridge in the 1860s, the Pier is not a fixed structure but floats with a hull like a boat. In 1874 the Thames Police took up residence, adopting a Navy-like culture with a requirement to remain in uniform at all times and for'shore leave' to be requested. The original recovery room was fitted with a bath with which to revive casualties. Indeed, a hot bath remained the first course of treatment as late as the 1960s when a specially designed tub on wheels was in use.

In 1891, Third Class Inspector John Lediard was on duty when he saw a woman jump from the then Waterloo Bridge. Finding no assistance, John went out to help the woman single-handedly. He caught up with her as she was swept downstream, lifted her into his boat and returned to the pier, sculling against the tide. Once on deck, John successfully resuscitated the woman, lifted her into the hand ambulance and pushed her through heavy rain to Westminster Hospital, where she eventually recovered. John received a commendation from the Police Commissioner.

The RNLI, in its dedication to saving lives, has continued in the tradition of those who previously occupied this historic site.

The charity bought the Pier for a nominal in 2004. Towing the Pier away from its niche in the Victoria Embankment - a listed structure - required the consent of English Heritage. This was granted and work began.

Converting the floating pier to a modern lifeboat station has been a fascinating project for the RNLI Shoreworks team. Lifted from the water at Piper's Wharf in Greenwich, both the pontoon and the building were found be in better condition than previously thought.

They were carefully renovated and an extra walkway added along the full length of the riverside at boat level. The Pier was then brought back to its original berth in July 2005 and superstructure work began. New operational facilities include a training room, crew room, galley and changing room, workshop and storage space. Sleeping accommodation is provided for standby crew and a small office for the Metropolitan Police - one of the RNLI's essential partners on the Thames. All work was completed at the end of January 2006, the station was operational a month later and was formally opened at the start of London Lifeboat Week in May.

See News, page 5..