London MRSC: The Coastguard on the Thames

When you think about His Majesty’s Coastguard, it would not be unreasonable to expect someone to be thinking about the coast – it’s in the name after all.

But did you know that the Coastguard is also responsible for Search and Rescue (SAR) operations in some of the UK’s tidal waters, that is, those affected by tides?

Which means that people’s safety on Britain’s most famous river, that winds its way through the heart of the country’s capital, falls under the remit of the national maritime 999 service for search and rescue.


The Thames Barrier as seen from London MRSC


From a place within eyeshot of the Thames Barrier, a small team of Coastguard operational staff work hard to keep London’s residents safe on the Thames.

Senior Maritime Operations Officer Paul spoke about his role and the unique experience of coordinating maritime search and rescue on the Thames.

“The Thames is actually a very dangerous river,” Paul, who spent 32 years working as a response officer in the Kent Police before retiring in 2019 and turning to help the Coastguard.

“It’s fast and it’s like a washing machine, you will likely be pulled under very quickly. So our main focus is on a quick response – if you can’t get there fast, the outcome is almost inevitably tragic.

“It’s a unique set-up within the Coastguard as we are the only operations room that works in and from a port and we work very closely with other emergency services and local authorities.”

The tidal Thames is approximately 95 miles long and flows from Teddington Weir in west London, under the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge and through Kent and Essex before joining the North Sea.

London MRSC from the banks of the Thames


Coastguard operators work alongside the Port of London Authority (PLA) at the London Maritime Rescue Sub-Coordination Centre (MRSC) to keep watch over the area. London Coastguard keep watch all the way to Canvey Island, at the mouth of the Thames, from this site.

Paul, who has spent his adult life working to protect or rescue others, said: “It’s a big area and, while we have eyes on the river to monitor it, we work with other partners to ensure safety across it. We work closely with the RNLI, London Fire Brigade vessels, Police Marine Unit, PLA vessels and other vessels on the River – the passenger vessels have always helped by being our eyes and ears and even playing a valuable part in rescues.

“We’re one big team in London.

“The PLA look after traffic control, security, navigational safety and the environment while we work alongside them to ensure safety of the river’s users, and the Coastguard has primacy (automatic lead organisation) over Search and Rescue.

“And we have four RNLI stations to call upon at Tower, Chiswick, Gravesend and Teddington – three of which have full-time staff members to deal with the number of incidents that we ask them to respond to.

“It can be a challenge as, sadly, many of the incidents involve issues of mental health, but I would still only want to do this job here. It is tough, fast-paced and non-stop but it is also incredibly rewarding to go home and know that you played a role in keeping London safe.”

Paul is part of a small team that comprises of fellow Senior Maritime Operation Officers Ben, Chris, Ross, Gareth and Jules – recent recipient of the Young Achiever of the Year at the 2022 Control Room Awards – alongside their manager Terry.

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