Many of London’s City workers unwind after a hard day with a trip to the gym or a drink in a bar. But sometimes when he leaves his office in Fenchurch Street David Taylor walks to a floating pier on the River Thames, pulls on a drysuit, and begins his shift as an RNLI lifeboat crew member.

‘I’ve always wanted to be on a lifeboat crew but, with a career in the City, I never thought I’d get the chance,’ says David, 32. ‘I’m from a boating family and we used to spend many happy holidays by the sea, so I appreciated the lifeboats.’ As Deputy Manager for Marine Training Services at Lloyd’s Register Group, David thought his chance to volunteer had arrived in 2002 when a lifeboat station opened at Tower just metres from his office. ‘There was a long waiting list, though,’ he recalls, ‘so I didn’t initially get on the crew. But I still wanted to help the RNLI, so I got involved in the fundraising side, collecting donations at boat shows and helping to organise events.’

Eventually, having kept in touch with the station, an opportunity to join arose in 2005 and David became one of Tower lifeboat’s 40 volunteers. Now, twice a month, he spends a night on call at the lifeboat station, which can now be found at Lifeboat Pier on the Victoria Embankment. As with Chiswick and Gravesend, Tower lifeboat is crewed by a mix of full-time and volunteer crew members. ‘We have a different arrangement from that of the coastal crews, because we’re usually dealing with people who are already in the water,’ he explains. ‘Like lifeguards, we have to be ready to launch instantly – if we’re not already on patrol.’

David’s most memorable lifeboating experience so far was when a man fell from the Embankment, injuring his back as he landed on the rocky foreshore. ‘We worked with the London Air Ambulance team to strap him to a backboard and lift him in a basket stretcher up a staircase. It was very difficult, but we did it and I was very relieved that we had done our bit without causing further injury.’ David adds that he has responded to several people attempting suicide in the Thames, pointing out that ‘they usually seem to change their minds once they’re in the river.’

On an average night’s shift, David helps with routine lifeboat maintenance, goes on patrol and exercise. (Medical training is as essential for Thames crew members as boathandling.) ‘Then I climb into a bunk – wearing my drysuit – and try to get some sleep,’ he says. ‘How much I get depends on how many calls we have!’

‘I’m delighted that I get the chance to help people, especially those who enjoy the water or who work on it,’ adds David. ‘The lifeboat crew are great people, from a very wide range of backgrounds. Sometimes we deal with sad or gruesome cases, but they don’t put me off – they just remind me how important the Thames lifeboat service is.’