Police Award for Chiswick RNLI Lifeboat Crew Member
Mark Pusey received commendation for preventing tragedy while off duty
Mark Pusey receiving his award. Picture: RNLI/Mark Pusey
September 4, 2026
Chiswick RNLI has paid tribute to one of its volunteer crew members after he received a police commendation for a lifesaving intervention on the Thames.
On 10 July, lifeboat crew member and press officer Mark Pusey was awarded a Basic Command Unit Commander’s Commendation by the Metropolitan Police for his bravery and compassion during an incident last May.
Mark was off duty and driving past the river when he noticed a woman standing close to the water in clear distress. He stopped, approached her gently, and built a rapport, discreetly contacting the Coastguard and police by pretending he was calling his mother “to say he’d be late for lunch” so as not to alarm her.
By the time officers arrived, Mark had brought the woman to safety and stayed with her until London Ambulance Service staff could take over. The RNLI says his intervention prevented a tragedy. “You never know what people are going through,” he said. “Be nice, be kind, and be someone that you’d want your loved ones to meet if they were struggling.”
It is not the first time Mark, who is also a musician, has been recognised for extraordinary courage. In 2025 he received an Operational Command Unit Commendation for saving a person from drowning in the Thames.
Chiswick RNLI Station Manager Andy Mayo said Mark’s actions reflected “the very highest standards of the RNLI”. He added: “This incident shows that our training, experience and commitment to saving lives do not begin and end on the lifeboat. Mark recognised a person in crisis, stepped forward without hesitation, and stayed with her until she could be handed into the care of the emergency services.”
The commendation comes at a significant moment for the Chiswick crew. The station — one of the busiest in the UK and Ireland — is currently in the process of relocating to a new base in Wandsworth, a move that marks the end of more than two decades of operations from its Chiswick Pier home. To mark the transition and celebrate the dedication of its volunteers, a party was recently held in honour of the crew’s work, recognising the thousands of callouts and rescues carried out on the tidal Thames since the service began in 2002.
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. |