Volunteers and families gathered at The Fisherman’s Rest pub last night to mark 137 years since the UK’s worst lifeboat disaster off the coast of Southport.
The tragedy involved the barque ‘Mexico,’ which ran aground near Southport during a severe gale. In response to distress signals from the Mexico, the Southport lifeboat ‘Eliza Fernley’ was launched. Unfortunately, when the lifeboat reached the vicinity of the Mexico, it was struck by heavy seas and capsized. Out of the 16 crew members on board Eliza Fernley,
14 tragically perished.
The two survivors, Henry Robinson and John Jackson, managed to escape by swimming out from under the capsized boat and clinging onto its keel, after which they walked miles to their homes to raise the alarm.
Meanwhile, another lifeboat from St Anne’s, named ‘Laura Janet,’ also responded to the distress call. Tragically, the entire crew of Laura Janet was lost. Additionally, a third lifeboat from Lytham was dispatched and successfully reached the Mexico, rescuing all 12 members of the barque’s crew who had lashed themselves to the rigging for safety.
This disaster is recorded as the worst in lifeboat history, with a total loss of 27 crew members. In the aftermath, a public fund was set up to support the widows and orphans of the deceased, raising a total of £30,000. Memorials were erected in Southport and St. Anne’s to honour those who lost their lives in this tragic event.
Crews from Southport Offshore Rescue Trust gathered alongside others wishing to pay tribute to those who were killed at a special memorial ceremony at the Fisherman’s Rest in Birkdale last night.
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