First Lifejacket 1854 RNLI Lifeboat Model Released!
The 3rd in the series of Lifeboat Collectables RNLI model figurines has been released!
The First Lifejacket 1854 Lifeboat Model Collectable Figurine accurately details the original cork lifejackets and equipment used by some of the earliest crews in the RNLI…
Early lifesavers typically wore lifebelts filled with ballast. But in 1854, RNLI Inspector Captain Ward invented the RNLI’s first lifejacket by sewing strips of cork onto a canvas vest. It caught on fully in 1861 after the Whitby lifeboat disaster, when the lifeboat capsized and Henry Freeman emerged as the sole survivor. He was the only crew member wearing Ward’s invention.
