Southampton will soon have a new lifeboat facility.
Hamble Lifeboat, which currently serves the River Hamble area, is setting up the new rescue facility in Southampton after seeing a rise in emergencies in the area.
Just last year, the lifeboat responded to 43 separate search and rescue incidents in Southampton water, and the rivers Itchen and Test.
The increase in emergencies has required expansion, according to Hamble Lifeboat.
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In a statement, they said: “At the end of each year, Hamble Lifeboat looks back on the rescues from previous years to ensure that the lifeboat services we provide meets local need.
“After consultation with our Search and Rescue partners and with excellent support from Chieftain Training who are soon to provide a wide range of water-based training activities from Southampton Water Activities Centre (SWAC), Hamble Lifeboat have decided to station a new lifeboat rescue facility in Southampton.”
Both the existing and new lifeboats will be on immediate pager call-out, which will ensure the best possible maritime lifesaving response to the Southampton area in the future.
The current independent Hamble Lifeboat facility will continue to operate on the River Hamble along with the newly introduced Southampton service.
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To support this expansion, Hamble Lifeboat is calling for individuals to join its new lifeboat crew and for fundraising volunteers.
Hamble Lifeboat is for people who can respond to emergency call-outs day or night, live or work within 15 minutes of SWAC, and are prepared to go afloat in any weather conditions to assist others.
The new crew, once recruited and trained, will be strategically positioned at SWAC for effective lifesaving interventions.
Service trials will begin over the months ahead and it is expected to become fully operational by July 1, 2026.