Police Award for Chiswick RNLI Lifeboat Crew Member
Mark Pusey received commendation for preventing tragedy while off duty
Mark Pusey receiving his award. Picture: RNLI/Mark Pusey
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September 4, 2026
Chiswick RNLI has paid tribute to one of its volunteer crew members after he received a police commendation for a lifesaving intervention on the Thames.
On 10 July, lifeboat crew member and press officer Mark Pusey was awarded a Basic Command Unit Commander’s Commendation by the Metropolitan Police for his bravery and compassion during an incident last May.
Mark was off duty and driving past the river when he noticed a woman standing close to the water in clear distress. He stopped, approached her gently, and built a rapport, discreetly contacting the Coastguard and police by pretending he was calling his mother “to say he’d be late for lunch” so as not to alarm her.
By the time officers arrived, Mark had brought the woman to safety and stayed with her until London Ambulance Service staff could take over. The RNLI says his intervention prevented a tragedy. “You never know what people are going through,” he said. “Be nice, be kind, and be someone that you’d want your loved ones to meet if they were struggling.”
It is not the first time Mark, who is also a musician, has been recognised for extraordinary courage. In 2025 he received an Operational Command Unit Commendation for saving a person from drowning in the Thames.
Chiswick RNLI Station Manager Andy Mayo said Mark’s actions reflected “the very highest standards of the RNLI”. He added: “This incident shows that our training, experience and commitment to saving lives do not begin and end on the lifeboat. Mark recognised a person in crisis, stepped forward without hesitation, and stayed with her until she could be handed into the care of the emergency services.”
The commendation comes at a significant moment for the Chiswick crew. The station — one of the busiest in the UK and Ireland — is currently in the process of relocating to a new base in Wandsworth, a move that marks the end of more than two decades of operations from its Chiswick Pier home. To mark the transition and celebrate the dedication of its volunteers, a party was recently held in honour of the crew’s work, recognising the thousands of callouts and rescues carried out on the tidal Thames since the service began in 2002.
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