 Penlee Lifeboat Memorial | |
| Date | 19 December 1981 (evening) |
|---|---|
| Location | Mount's Bay, Cornwall, England |
| Coordinates | 50°03′08″N 5°34′39″W / 50.0523°N 5.5774°W |
| Casualties | |
| 8 Solomon Browne lifeboat crew lost | |
| 8 Union Star crew and passengers lost | |
| No survivors from either vessel | |
The Penlee lifeboat disaster occurred on 19 December 1981 off the coast of Cornwall, England. The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) lifeboat Solomon Browne, based at the Penlee Lifeboat Station near Mousehole, went to the aid of the vessel Union Star after its engines failed in heavy seas. After the lifeboat had rescued four people, both vessels were lost with all hands. Sixteen people died, including eight volunteer lifeboatmen.