Station History
The Humber Lifeboat station stands on the extreme tip of Spurn Point, the most southerly fragment of Yorkshire, where the fast flowing Humber unites with the turbulent North Sea.
The Humber Lifeboat Station at Spurn Point was established in 1810 and until 1908 was maintained by the Hull Trinity House. In that year it passed under the charge of the Humber Conservancy Board and in 1911 was taken over by the Institution. No complete record of its work before that date exists but it is stated in the record book of Hull Trinity House that nearly 800 lives had been rescued between 1810 and 1854.
The most outstanding figure at this station was Coxswain Robert Cross. When Coxswain Cross retired in November 1943 at the age of 67, he had been coxswain of the Humber Station for 31 years. He had taken part in the rescue of 403 lives, had won the Gold Medal twice, the Silver Medal three times, the Bronze Medal twice, the Thanks of the Institution inscribed on Vellum and the George Medal. During the six years in which he served as a member of the crew before the Institution took the station over in 1911 and appointed him coxswain, he took part in the rescue of 50 lives so that his grand total of lives is 453.
There is no honorary secretary at this station as the Superintendent Coxswain is in charge.
The crew are full-time employees and live in the Institutions houses at Spurn Point.
The Superintendent cowain at the Humber Lifeboat Station - David Steenvoorden received a MBE for services to maritime safety in the Queens New Years honors list for 2017.
SKEALS History of the Spurn Lifeboat