THE country’s busiest lifeboat crew – who have already saved 24 people this year – are sacrificing their own New Year to keep partygoers safe tonight.

The Tower Lifeboat Crew was called out five times on Christmas Day and will be braving the chill over the Thames again until the early hours.

Boat parties on the river are a huge draw at New Year.

Last year, around 7,0000 people watched the fireworks from the water.

The crew ended up saving two lives and also had to deal with a car which was part submerged.

Around 200,000 people are expected to descend on the banks of the river this evening tonight.

The Tower crew, who first formed in 2001, is made up of Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) volunteers and full-time paid staff.