Victim resigned over handling of what he said was ‘hate-filled attack’ by colleague and its aftermath

The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) has been accused of failing to tackle violent bullying, after a row about rescuing people crossing the Channel in small boats ended in a volunteer being beaten unconscious by a crewmate who remained in charge of a lifeboat, despite the assault being witnessed by a regional manager.

The incident illustrates how the issue of rescuing people seeking refuge in the UK has fuelled tensions inside the RNLI. A leaked internal survey revealed staff anger at the “toxic masculinity” of some colleagues.