In December 1852, the local committee in charge of the boat relinquished control to the RNLI after they took the decision not to launch during bad weather.

This was seen as the wrong decision, as three men on a stricken ship drowned, and so the committee decided the best option was to transfer control to the RNLI.

[4] A lifeboat station was built near to the harbour, but was vacated in 1903 in favour of a new build slightly to the south along Marine Drive.

[16] After the sinking of The Harbinger, a private donation paid for a second lifeboat (outwith of the RNLI's responsibility) which was called The Seagull.

On 19 August 1952, two girls, Joan Ellis and Gillian Fox, were swimming in the sea off the coast at Flamborough when they got into difficulties.

Unfortunately, both girls drowned and during the search, and the lifeboat was capsized by rough seas, killing one of the lifeboatmen, bowman Robert Redhead.

It was later speculated that the Bridlington lifeboat crew were unfamiliar with the area they were searching, and so were not aware of the dangerous waters around Flamborough Head.