James Cracknell Visits Chiswick Lifeboat Crew Ahead of Boat Race
Double Olympic gold medallist is the event's oldest ever competitor
James Cracknell with the crew at Chiswick Pier. Picture: RNLI
March 28, 2024
Members of the RNLI Chiswick Lifeboat received a visit from the oldest ever competitor in the University Boat Race this Thursday (28 March) as they were making preparations for the event this Sunday.
Former Chiswick resident James Cracknell paid them a visit as they geared up to provide safety coverage for rowers and spectators this Sunday.
The 51-year-old, who has won gold medals at two Olympics as well as six world championships, is also notable for being the oldest person ever to row in the race between Oxford and Cambridge being in the winning light blue crew in 2019.
James said: ‘It was great to get on the water today with the crew at Chiswick RNLI, it was far easier going down the Championship course on a lifeboat than rowing it.
‘The lifeboat crew are ready to respond at a moment’s notice 24/7 and I hope this year’s race goes without them needing too much involvement.’
With thousands of people expected to gather on the banks of the River Thames in London along the four-mile course, RNLI lifeguards and volunteer lifeboat crews will be on the water on eight rescue craft.
But it’s not just the spectators they are keeping safe. In last year’s men’s race, as the rowers crossed the finish line, one of the Oxford team became unresponsive and required medical assistance. Chiswick’s crew were quickly on-scene taking the unresponsive rower onboard and transferring them ashore for further medical care.
With the race taking place on the tidal part of the Thames, RNLI crews have often assisted those cut off by the tide back to a safe location. On race day in 2015, lifeboats assisted in evacuating more than 50 people cut off along the foreshore at Hammersmith.
Chiswick RNLI Station Manager, Wayne Bellamy said, ‘Our advice to those coming to enjoy the day is to be aware of your surroundings, as slips trips and falls can happen easily, and keep children close by when near the water’s edge.
‘If you do fall into the water unexpectedly, remember to float to live. Keep calm and try not to panic, lean back extending your arms and legs to keep your airway clear of the water and if you need to, gently move your arms and legs in a gentle motion to help you float. Once you have your breathing under control then consider swimming to a point of safety.
‘If you do see anyone in trouble, dial 999 or 112 and ask for the Coastguard and if you can, try and give a location as this will help rescue services get to those in difficulty quicker.’
This year, the RNLI celebrates its 200th birthday and during that time has saved more than 146,000 lives. RNLI lifeboats have been operating on the River Thames since 2002 and during that time have launched 18,544 times, aided 6,184 people and saved 680 lives.
For further information about the RNLI’s 200th anniversary, visit RNLI.org/200.
Like Reading Articles Like This? Help Us Produce More This site remains committed to providing local community news and public interest journalism. Articles such as the one above are integral to what we do. We aim to feature as much as possible on local societies, charities based in the area, fundraising efforts by residents, community-based initiatives and even helping people find missing pets. We've always done that and won't be changing, in fact we'd like to do more. However, the readership that these stories generates is often below that needed to cover the cost of producing them. Our financial resources are limited and the local media environment is intensely competitive so there is a constraint on what we can do. We are therefore asking our readers to consider offering financial support to these efforts. Any money given will help support community and public interest news and the expansion of our coverage in this area. A suggested monthly payment is £8 but we would be grateful for any amount for instance if you think this site offers the equivalent value of a subscription to a daily printed newspaper you may wish to consider £20 per month. If neither of these amounts is suitable for you then contact info@neighbournet.com and we can set up an alternative. All payments are made through a secure web site. One-off donations are also appreciated. Choose The Amount You Wish To Contribute. If you do support us in this way we'd be interested to hear what kind of articles you would like to see more of on the site – send your suggestions to the editor. For businesses we offer the chance to be a corporate sponsor of community content on the site. For £30 plus VAT per month you will be the designated sponsor of at least one article a month with your logo appearing if supplied. If there is a specific community group or initiative you'd like to support we can make sure your sponsorship is featured on related content for a one off payment of £50 plus VAT. All payments are made through a secure web site. |