Its best-known action was in 1899 when the lifeboat was taken 15 miles (24 km) across Exmoor before being launched to assist a ship in trouble.

A lifeboat station was established in the town on 20 January 1869, five months after the nearby wreck of the sailing vessel Home.

[1] The Forrest Hall, a 1,900-ton, three-masted ship with thirteen crew and five apprentices sailing down the channel from Bristol, got into trouble several miles east of Lynmouth on the evening of 12 January 1899.

Six men were sent ahead to widen some parts of the road that were too narrow while about 100 people, helped by 18 horses from Lynton, hauled the boat up the 1 in 4 (25%) Countisbury Hill.

After their 11-hour journey across Exmoor, they now had to row for an hour into the storm to reach the Forrest Hall which was anchored close to Hurlstone Point.

The lifeboat stood by – the crew rowing continuously to hold a safe position – until daylight when two tugs arrived and managed to get a new rope across.

The tugs took the ship across the channel to Barry, accompanied by the Louisa and the Lynmouth lifeboat volunteers in case there were further problems.