Statue Proposal for Whitby Lifeboat Disaster Survivor

Thursday, 14 December 2023 06:00

By Anttoni James Numminen, Local Democracy Reporter

A statue celebrating Whitby’s maritime lifesaving history could be built as part of a plan for an ‘RNLI-themed garden’.

The statue, of lifeboat disaster survivor Henry Freeman, would be built on the left side of the steps at the bottom of Whitby’s Khyber Pass.

Freeman was the sole survivor of an attempt by Whitby lifeboat crews to rescue vessels stricken by a huge storm in February 1861.

He was awarded an RNLI Silver Medal for the courage and determination he displayed, later becoming the Whitby RNLI Coxswain for more than 20 years.

The RNLI said that as 2024 is the organisation’s 200th anniversary, the unveiling of the sculpture next year

“would be an excellent time to celebrate the town’s long history of maritime lifesaving”.

The RNLI said:

“We think the sculpture would be an asset to the town, enhancing the appearance of the Khyber Pass area, providing an attraction that would benefit the surrounding businesses as well as driving visitors to the RNLI museum and shop, which helps to raise money for the charity.

The galvanised wire statue would be placed and fixed to a concrete base by Emma Stothard, the artist responsible for another nine sculptures around Whitby as part of the Whitby trail.

It aims to coincide with a council plan to “make the gardens on Khyber Pass Whitby into an RNLI-themed garden”.

The application was submitted by Whitby RNLI mechanic Richard Dowson.

Proposals state that the sculpture would also incorporate a charity collection box which would be emptied on a regular basis by the local lifeboat station’s staff.

The subject of the statue, Henry Freeman, was born on April 29, 1835 in Bridlington, Yorkshire.

According to the RNLI, he moved to Whitby in 1855 to become a fisherman and joined the local lifeboat crew.

The proposal is currently pending consideration with the council and the planning authority.